An Adventure of a Lifetime
by Rylee87
Summary: Kyleigh Chase was trying to get her life together; she thought things would finally fall into place. Everything changed when her best friend, Rose, went missing. A year later Rose comes back and she's not alone. After an interesting reunion, Kyleigh is invited along with Rose and the Doctor. Wandering through time and space, what could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

She was fighting a losing battle, she knew that. She wouldn't up, though, for she was no quitter. Her persistence will pay off is what she thought. Picking up her weapon of choice, she went back into battle.

It was a battle Kyleigh Chase fought most every day. The battle, as she called it, was the battle of the hair. Kyleigh had very unmanageable hair that never did what she wanted. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

After a few more minutes of trying to curl her hair, Kyleigh decided to put her brown hair in a messy bun. Her curls never came out the way she wanted and she didn't have time to fight on. She was already late as it was.

Once she threw her hair up, Kyleigh put on her shoes, grabbed her keys, and then bolted out of her apartment. Luckily, she wasn't that far from where she was supposed to be so she just ran.

The small cafe soon came into view. Kyleigh stopped at the corner to catch her breath. Soon her breath became normal and she made her way across the street. Her friend was already there, sitting at one of the tables outside.

"Sorry I'm late, Rose." Kyleigh said as she sat down.

"Battle of the Hair again?"

Kyleigh nodded.

"Well, lucky for you I like you so I ordered for you." Rose pushed a basket of chips towards Kyleigh and a drink.

"Thanks so much, Rose." Kyleigh munched on a chip. "I wish I had hair like yours. Yours always seems so perfect."

"You'd be surprised what I do to achieve this perfect hair." Rose said as she flipped her hair back; Kyleigh laughed. "Besides, you've seen me in the mornings."

"Yes, and the sight is absolutely terrifying."

"Oi, not that terrifying." Rose said, throwing a chip at her friend.

Kyleigh was too slow to dodge so the chip hit her right in the forehead, which bounced into her chip basket. "Nice shot." Kyleigh said as she picked up the chip and ate it.

The two friends continued chatting as they finished off their chips. Once they were finished, they were off to travel the streets of London.

"Thanks for coming with me." Kyleigh said. "Shopping by myself is so boring."

"Anytime. Besides, I should get a present for your aunt too."

"I'm not planning anything. You know how I feel about birthday parties, but if you want to stop by for dinner you're more than welcomed to."

"May I make a request?"

"You may."

"I want you to make your delicious brownies."

Kyleigh smiled. "I'm sure I can manage that."

The rest of the afternoon was spent going to different stores. Rose had bought a necklace for Kyleigh's aunt. They decided to go to one more store before calling it a day.

"How is it that you can know someone your whole life, but have no clue what to get them?" Kyleigh said as she browsed through some clothes.

"Just get her something she likes. Shouldn't be that complicated."

"I know. It's just that…" Kyleigh trailed off, suddenly finding a shirt very interesting.

Rose put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand."

Kyleigh looked at Rose with a sad smile. "Thanks."

Kyleigh spent a few more minutes browsing before deciding on a pair of earrings that would go with the necklace Rose picked out.

"So, if you want to come by tomorrow we'll be having dinner at six." Kyleigh said as she and Rose left the store.

"Yeah, I'll stop by."

They soon went their separate ways, Rose going to her place and Kyleigh going to hers.

Once Kyleigh arrived home she stuffed the bags in her closet. She then fell back on her bed. Birthdays weren't that difficult. They should be a happy day, but after that day when she was seven she just couldn't view birthdays the same way no matter whose birthday it was. Still, she tried to put her feelings aside so others can have a happy birthday.

At some point Kyleigh must have dozed off because the next thing she heard was her aunt calling her name. Kyleigh glanced at her clock and saw it was 5:30. She had indeed dozed off.

Kyleigh pushed herself off her bed and made her way into the kitchen where her aunt was putting away groceries.

"I have some good news." Her aunt said when she saw Kendra.

"You're pregnant?"

"No. It has something to do with you."

Kyleigh raised an eyebrow. "Should I be scared?"

"Of course not. I got you an interview at my office."

"Doing what? I don't have training to be a lawyer and I'm not going to work in the mail room."

"It's for a secretary position."

Kyleigh scrunched up her face. "You mean I'll be typing and filing?"

"Oh, it's not that bad. And at least it's a job. You need one since you got fired last week."

"I didn't get fired. I quit."

"Whatever. You still need a job."

"But a secretary? I don't want to be at a desk all day."

"You won't. Secretaries also run errands."

Kyleigh groaned, but said no more. The look her aunt was giving her said the subject was closed.

Kyleigh sighed. "When is it?"

Her aunt smiled. "Friday at two."

Later the night, Kyleigh was on the phone with Rose as she complained about the interview her aunt had set up.

"Well, your aunt is right. It's a job." Rose said.

"Can you see me as a secretary? You know how disorganized I am. I can barely keep track of…" Kyleigh trailed off as she glanced around her room. "My paints." Kyleigh looked under her bed and smiled when her eyes landed on her paints. "Found them." She could just sense Rose shaking her head.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep me and love me."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, all right."

"Hey, do you think you can get me a job at the shop?"

"Really? You want to work in a shop?"

"It's better than being a secretary. Please, Rose. I won't ask you for anything else. I promise."

"All right. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks so much. Now, I will see you tomorrow. I'm going to do some painting."

"See ya then."

Kyleigh hung up, then made her way over to her easel. Her easel sat near her window which gave her the view of the night sky. Perfect for inspiration. She set up her paints, and then continued her painting she had previously started.

* * *

The next morning, Kyleigh did not want to get up. She had stayed up late finishing her painting. Glancing at the clock, she figured it was time to get up since it was almost noon.

She laid in bed for a few more minutes before finally getting up and making her way to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.

Kyleigh spent the rest of the day cleaning house and starting a new art piece. The last one she finished had all nine planets and around them were fireflies. When she was little she thought that stars were fireflies that were stuck in space. Kyleigh hung that painting on her door.

When it was time, Kyleigh started making her brownies and dinner. It was soon after she started that her uncle walked in.

"Something smells good." He said as he appeared in the kitchen with a cake. He placed the cake on the counter, took off the lid and was about to taste the frosting. Kyleigh slapped his hand.

"No tasting before the birthday girl."

"Well, you're no fun."

Kyleigh smiled.

"So, Carol told me she got you an interview at her law firm."

"As a secretary. I think she's hoping for me to be a lawyer like her."

"She just wants what's best for you."

"Can you see me as a lawyer? Besides, no offence to aunt Carol, but lawyers are boring."

"Well, you need something."

"I've only been out a job for a week. You two are making it sound like it's been weeks."

"We just…" He trailed off. "Never mind. I'm going to go change." He then left the kitchen.

Kyleigh had an idea of how that sentence was going to end, but she didn't want to think about it so she continued working. Occasionally, her uncle would come in to try to taste the food, but Kyleigh would always slap his hand away. You would think after so many times he would take a hint.

It surprised Kyleigh that she was able to finish dinner on time. She had to scold her uncle so many times and make sure he didn't snack on anything. She was just finishing setting the table when she heard the door open.

"I'm home." Carol called. "I bumped into some people on the way home so I just invited them for dinner."

Kyleigh walked into the living room and saw the people her aunt was talking about were Rose and her mum.

Kyleigh smiled. "So glad you two came."

"Well, we couldn't miss your aunt Carol turning forty-one, now could we?" Jackie said.

"I'm not ashamed of my age. I'm proud of to be forty-one." Carol said.

"We'll see how long that lasts." Kyleigh said.

"Let me go change into more comfortable clothes and then we can eat." Carol then left the room.

"She probably won't be proud when she turns fifty." Harold said. "She'll be half a century."

"I heard that. And you'll get there before I do."

It wasn't long that they were sitting at the table for dinner.

"You outdid yourself this time, Kyleigh. This is the best meal you've cooked." Rose said.

"You say that about everything I cook."

"Because it's true. You get better with each thing you make."

"Thanks."

"That's what you could do. You could go to culinary school and become a master chef." Harold said.

"I don't think I want to cook for a living."

"What do you want to do for a living?"

"And don't say painting." Carol said.

"What's wrong with painting?" Kyleigh asked.

"It's just not suitable for a life career."

"I think her paintings are wonderful." Rose said.

"I'm not saying they aren't but, Kyleigh, you have to start thinking realistically and stop dreaming."

"Many people have made a life of painting. It can be good money." Kyleigh defended.

"Most famous painters you hear about didn't become famous until their death." Harold said.

"I'm sure Kyleigh can make a good career out of it." Jackie said. "She's very talented."

Kyleigh was grateful for both Rose and Jackie. Sometimes it seemed like they were the only ones who understood her.

"Of course she is." Carol said.

Jackie was about to reply, but Kyleigh spoke before she could. "Anyone ready for dessert?" Anything to change the subject.

Rose helped Kyleigh clear the dishes from the table. Kyleigh then brought out the brownies, which Rose very happily helped herself to one.

Harold then brought out the cake and everyone sang happy birthday, except for Kyleigh. She could bring herself to throw a small birthday party for someone, but she could never bring herself to sing happy birthday.

Once everyone was done singing, Carol blew out the candles, and everyone had a slice of cake. Carol then opened her presents, thanking everyone as she did.

Soon after, Jackie and Rose decided to head home. Kyleigh thanked them for standing up for her as she walked them out.

"I don't know what your aunt and uncle go on about." Jackie said. "You're a very talented artist."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." Rose said.

Kyleigh waved good-bye then headed back inside the house. She was about to go to her room when her uncle called her.

"I'm sorry if we seem harsh. We're just stating the truth. You aren't going to get anywhere in life with just your paintings."

Kyleigh was silent. What did they want her to say? Thank you? They were pretty much stomping on her dreams.

"It's time to get your head out of the clouds and focus on real life." Carol said.

"Unlike the two of you, I have an imagination and there is nothing wrong with that." Without waiting for a reply she turned and went straight to her room, closing the door.

She sat on her bed, wondering how her aunt and uncle could say such things to her. Painting was the only thing she was good at. Take that away and she was nothing.

Kyleigh grabbed her photo album that she always kept on the nightstand by her bed. She flipped it open and glanced through the pictures of her parents. They never told Kyleigh to give up painting. In fact, it was her parents who gave her her first paint set. She missed them so much.

Kyleigh soon fell asleep with the photo album clutched to her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you, tooker86, for the review. It means a lot. I know the first part probably wasn't too exciting, but I promise it does get better!**

* * *

The next morning, Kyleigh woke up with determination. Painting was the one thing she was really good at and she was going to prove to her aunt and uncle that she could make a good living from it. It may take her some time to get her name out there, but she could do it.

Once she was done getting ready for the day, she picked out one of her best paintings, grabbed a banana, then headed out. One of the small art galleries were always accepting new art pieces so she would start there.

Kyleigh held her painting like it was the most valuable thing in the world, and to her it was.

It wasn't long until she was standing in front of the art gallery. She had never tried to get one of her pieces in an art gallery; she's been too afraid. Now that she was here she was having second thoughts. What if her paintings aren't as good as she thought? What if they told her she had no talent at all? What if…

Kyleigh shook her head. She really needed to stop asking what if and just do it.

Taking a deep breath, Kyleigh walked into the building. There weren't many people there; only a few glancing through the art. Kyleigh tried to not let her nerves show as she walked up to the woman at the desk.

"Hello, excuse me, I'm here-" Kyleigh started to say.

The woman glanced at what Kyleigh held in her hands. "Let me guess, you want to know if your art is good enough to be displayed in the gallery."

"Um, yes." Kyleigh meant to sound more professional, but the way the woman said that made Kyleigh falter.

The woman sighed as she held out her hands. "Let me see."

Kyleigh quickly looked around to see if anyone was near them. When she knew no one was around, Kyleigh handed over her painting. She glanced at the name tag, which said Anne.

Anne unwrapped the painting and began to examine it. Kyleigh twisted the bracelets on her wrist, trying to stay positive. At one point Anne brought out a magnifying glass to look closer at the painting.

Only a few minutes had passed, but to Kyleigh it felt much longer. When Anne looked up at Kyleigh, Kyleigh held her breath.

"We can't accept this."

Kyleigh let out her breath as her heart dropped. "Why not?"

"You have too many dark colors and they just don't blend well together."

"But it's my best work."

"Well, it's not good enough." Anne handed back the painting.

Kyleigh said nothing as she took her painting and wrapped it up. She then left the gallery, hoping she had the power to turn invisible. Her art wasn't the best, she knew that. She did think it was good enough to be in a small gallery. Maybe she was wrong.

Once Kyleigh got home she grabbed the remaining brownies, then shut herself in her room. There were other galleries she could try, but what if they gave her the same answer?

Kyleigh shook her head. _Stop it. _She scolded herself. Things would look up soon. Hopefully Rose could get her an interview at the shop so she wouldn't have to be a secretary. She will work to save money while trying to get her name out in the art world. She just hoped it was soon. It made her depressed when she thought that she had no future, or at least a future that wasn't going anywhere.

A good place to start would be art school. Kyleigh had applied to one, but she has yet to hear anything. Of course, she only applied a few days ago. It was hard being patient.

Later that day, Kyleigh was putting pictures in her photo album. She was just putting in the last one of her and Rose having a flour fight when her uncle called her. The tone in his voice sounded panic, making Kyleigh rush out to the living room.

Both her aunt and uncle were sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the television. Kyleigh looked towards the TV; the news was on and was showing a building on fire. Kyleigh knew that building.

"Henrick's blew up." Harold said. "They don't know anything yet."

Kyleigh slipped on her shows, her mind racing with questions.

"Where are you going?" Carol asked.

"I need to see if Rose is all right." Kyleigh didn't wait for them to say anything else as she rushed out the door.

As Kyleigh ran to Rose's place, she kept hoping she was all right. Rose had to be fine. Kyleigh didn't know what she would do without her best friend.

When the Powell Estate came into view, Kyleigh stopped for a brief moment to catch her breath. Running this much reminded Kyleigh how out of shape she was. Once Kyleigh had some of her breath back she began to run the rest of the way.

Kyleigh ignored the pain in her side as she raced up the stairs. She soon skidded to a stop when she saw Mickey headed her way.

"Mickey…is…she…" Kyleigh tried to say as she gasped for breath.

"Yeah, she's fine. Did you run all the way here?"

Kyleigh nodded.

"You should invest in a car."

Kyleigh shook her head.

"Oh, yeah, right"

Kyleigh was thankful at times because Mickey knew exactly what she was trying to say without having her actually say anything.

"So, she's all right?" Kyleigh asked once she caught her breath.

"Yeah. A little shaken, but she's good."

"That's good." It was then she noticed what Mickey was holding. "What's with the arm?"

"Oh, a souvenir from the shop, I guess. Rose asked me to get rid of it."

"Well, then, I won't keep you from that. I'll see ya later."

"See ya."

Kyleigh went a little slower now that she knew Rose was fine. The pain in her side was still there, but now that she wasn't running it wasn't hurting as bad. Maybe she should start running. Her aunt is always telling her she needs to exercise more. She then thought against it; she hated running.

Kyleigh soon came to Rose's door. She didn't even bother knocking as she walked right in. Jackie was on the phone so Kyleigh just waved to her.

"I was so worried about you." Kyleigh said as she sat next to Rose on the couch.

"I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Um, I was outside so I didn't see anything."

Kyleigh gave Rose a hug. "Well, good thing you were." She then slapped her friend. "Don't scare me like that again. Promise?"

Rose smiled. "Promise."

"So, I saw Mickey. What's up with the arm?"

Rose was silent for a minute before she said, "Let's just say it was a really weird night."

Kyleigh had a feeling she wasn't going to get anything out of her so she didn't ask anymore.

"Well, so much for getting a job there."

"Yeah. Looks like you'll have to stick with that secretary job."

Kyleigh made a face. "If I must. Still, I have to pass the interview first."

"Don't mess it up, yeah?"

"Would I do such a thing?"

"Maybe." Rose laughed when Kyleigh gave her a look. "No, you wouldn't. As much as you don't like something you wouldn't mess it up on purpose."

Kyleigh stayed for a little while longer before heading home. She was sure Rose wanted to rest.

"How is Rose?" Harold asked when Kyleigh got home.

"She's fine."

"Glad she wasn't in the building when it blew."

"Me, too."

* * *

Kyleigh woke up early the next morning. She was determined to get a job anywhere else besides being a secretary. Not only did she know she wouldn't be good at it, she didn't want to work near her aunt. It wasn't that she didn't love her aunt, she did, but sometimes it was hard to get along with her.

As she poured herself some cereal Kyleigh dialed Rose.

"Hello?"

"Rose, you're up. Didn't know if you would be since you no longer have a job. I was wondering did you want to come job searching with me today?"

"I uh, I can't right now."

"Are you all right? You sound distracted."

"I'm fine. I'll call you later, yeah?" Rose then hung up.

"Ooook." Kyleigh didn't think too much about it. Rose was probably still a little shaken from last night. If Rose had remained in the building…

Kyleigh shook her head. Rose was alive so it was pointless to think about the things that could have been.

Once Kyleigh finished breakfast and got ready for the day, she headed out. She started going around to some of the places close to her, but they all said the same, "We aren't hiring right not but we are always accepting applications." If one more person said that to her she was going to hit them. Not really but it sounded good.

By the time afternoon rolled around, Kyleigh had put in quite a few applications.

She took out her phone to call Rose. "Hey, you missed a great morning of putting in job apps."

"Yeah, sorry I missed it."

"What are you up to?"

"Researching."

"Researching what?"

"Um, a doctor."

"What kind of doctor? You aren't sick, are you?"

"No, it's just…" Rose trailed off.

Kyleigh waited for Rose to finish her sentence; she didn't. "Rose, what are you researching a doctor for?"

"I'll call you later to explain." Rise hung up.

Kyleigh wondered exactly what had happened last night. Something clearly happened; she could hear it in Rose's voice. Hopefully things would be explained. Kyleigh was beginning to worry.

Kyleigh went to a flower shop and bought some lilies. She then went to the one place she wished she didn't have to go. It didn't matter how many times she went, she disliked visiting that place. It only served as a reminder of what she has lost.

The day her parents died will haunt her forever. As much as she tried to forget, she couldn't. She was only eight when it happened, but she remembered that day clearly. They were so happy as they drove, and sang. Her mum was driving. They didn't see the car coming until it was too late. For a long time Kyleigh asked why she was the only one to survive. To this day she still wonders why.

Kyleigh arrived at the cemetery and made her way to her parent's grave.

"Hi mum, dad." Kyleigh said as she kneeled down. "Sorry it's been a while since I visited. I brought you flowers." Kyleigh put the flowers by the headstone. "So, yesterday was aunt Carol's birthday. Things were going well until she and uncle Harold brought up me getting a job. I know last time I visited I had a job, but things got weird with this guy. Anyway, I quit. They don't think I can make it as an artist. Why can't they understand?"

Kyleigh sighed.

"I won't go on a whole rant on you. I promise it won't be long until my next visit."

Kyleigh then stood and left the cemetery. She wished her parents were still here. Maybe her life would be different. At least with them they would encourage her painting instead of discouraging her.

When Kyleigh got home, she tried to resist the urge to call Rose again. Rose said she would call later, but Kyleigh couldn't help feeling that something was going on. Maybe she should call again.

Kyleigh grabbed her phone and dialed the number for Rose; she didn't answer.

It looks like she will just have to wait.

Kyleigh spent the next few hours just hanging around her house. When it was almost time for her aunt to come home, she left to go shopping. She really didn't want to deal with Aunt Carol right now. Besides, she was almost out of paints.

Shopping by herself was boring. She was thinking of calling Rose again, but decided against it. Rose would call when she wasn't busy.

She was just coming out of the store when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. In the store window next door, the mannequins were moving. Is that something new the stores were trying to get more customers? It certainly did attract people.

Kyleigh started walking, not thinking much about the movie dummies. A crash and screaming made Kyleigh stop once again and look around. The mannequins weren't only moving, but they crashed through the windows and were walking towards anyone that was close to them.

Ok, maybe it isn't to get more customers in their stores. What was going on? Kyleigh stared as one of the dummies opened his fingers and then fired at a nearby person. That snapped Kyleigh back to reality; she began to run.

It was chaos. Mannequins continued to come out from the shops while people ran every which way, trying to avoid being shot.

"Please, don't hurt us." Someone cried.

Kyleigh stopped and glanced around. A mother with her two children were cornered by one of the dummies. Without thinking, Kyleigh ran over and tackled the dummy. Hopefully it would have trouble getting up.

She looked over at the family. "Go."

"Thank you." The mother said. She grabbed her children and ran.

Kyleigh took off running. She didn't get very far when a mannequin stepped in front of her, making her stop mid run. He lowered his fingers. Kyleigh quickly turned and ran the other way.

The pain in Kyleigh's side returned. Maybe she should start running after all, get in shape just in case she had to do more running in the future. Though, she hoped she didn't have to run for her life again anytime soon.

Kyleigh tripped, landing hard on the ground. She looked up and saw a mannequin's hand in her face. The mannequin was going to shoot her. Kyleigh tried to stand, but lost her balance and fell back down.

So, this is how it ends. Death by dummy. Not the way she thought she would die. That would be embarrassing if they put that on her tombstone.

Just when Kyleigh thought the dummy was going to shoot, it fell forward. Kyleigh scrambled back as she waited for it to get back up; it didn't. She scooted closer even though part of her was telling her to not touch it.

Kyleigh poked it…nothing happened. She glanced around. All the mannequins had stopped. Whatever made them stop she was thankful. She wasn't ready to die yet and certainly not by plastic.

As she stood, pain shot through Kyleigh. She winced as she pulled up her shirt.

"Oh, that's why my side hurts." Kyleigh had been shot. It appeared to be just a graze so she would be fine. Kyleigh looked around. She couldn't say the same for some people.

The cops and paramedics had arrived. How was anyone going to explain this?

One of the medics saw Kyleigh and wanted to check her out. She had insisted that she only had a graze. The medic still wanted to check her wound. He cleaned it and bandaged it, then sent her on her way.

"Kyleigh!"

Kyleigh turned and saw Jackie running towards her.

"Jackie, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. What were those things? How were they…" She trailed off when she saw the blood on Kyleigh's shirt. "Did you get shot?"

"Yeah, but it's just graze. Nothing major."

"That's good. I hope Rose is all right. She called but then hung up before saying anything."

"I'm sure she's fine. If she's out, then these things probably surprised her too."

"Yeah. Well, get home before these things decide to move again."

Kyleigh smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Kyleigh slowly made her way home. She kept glancing around for more mannequins to attack. She was relieved when she finally arrived home. As soon as she walked in she was embraced by her aunt.

"Kyleigh, I'm so glad you're all right. I was so worried. I didn't know where you were and then I heard about those things attacking."

"Aunt Carol, kind of need to breath."

"Oh, sorry." Carol let go. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. I got a little scratched up, but I'm fine."

"Do you have any idea what was going on?" Harold asked.

Kyleigh shook her head. "No idea. Hopefully it won't happen again. Now, I'm going to go get cleaned up."

After Kyleigh took a shower, she laid on her bed. Rose still hadn't called her so Kyleigh tried calling. She got the message, "The person you are trying to reach in no longer in service." Kyleigh found that very strange. She tried not to worry about her friend, but she couldn't help having the feeling that something was wrong. Well, Kyleigh was definitely going to get answers tomorrow and she won't take no for an answer.


	3. Chapter 3

Ringing woke Kyleigh the next morning. She groaned as she reached for her phone

"Hello?"

"Ky, I need to talk to you."

"Mickey?" Kyleigh glanced at her clock. "It's eight in the morning. Can't it wait?"

"No. You're lucky I waited this long. It's about last night."

Kyleigh sat up. "You mean the mannequins that were attacking?"

"Just come over to my place."

"Ok, I'll be there soon."

As soon as Kyleigh hung up with Mickey, she jumped out of bed and got dressed. Before she could rush out, her uncle stopped her.

"Where are you going in such a rush?"

"Mickey needs my help with something."

"This early?"

Kyleigh shrugged. "Well, yow know, some people are just morning people." Kyleigh turned to leave.

"Kyleigh, take some breakfast with you." Kyleigh grabbed a banana. "Thank you."

Kyleigh then left.

As Kyleigh made her way to Mickey's, she wondered how he could possibly know what happened last night. Or maybe it has nothing to do with the attack. Maybe it's about Rose. Did something happen to her? Kyleigh felt her worry rise.

When Kyleigh arrived at Mickey's place, she saw that he was in quite a state. He had pulled her inside the moment he opened the door and saw it was her.

"I need to tell someone." Mickey said as he began pacing; Kyleigh sat on the couch. "I couldn't…I couldn't keep this to myself."

"Mickey, did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yes…no…some…I couldn't stop thinking about it. How could she do that? How could she just run off with him?"

"Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about?"

Kyleigh had an idea, but she hoped she was wrong. Rose wouldn't just run off with another man. Why would she?

"Rose ran off with the Doctor. She just…just took off. How could she do that?"

"Rose ran off with a doctor?" Is that why she was researching doctors? To find out more about this guy? But why would she go off with someone she had to research? It didn't make any sense.

"Not _a_ doctor. _The_ Doctor."

Kyleigh raised an eyebrow. "There's a difference?"

"He's not-he's not-he's a thing. An alien."

Kyleigh stood from where she was sitting and put her hands on Mickey's shoulders, stopping him from pacing. "Mickey, you haven't…tried anything new, have you?"

Mickey slapped her hands away. "I know I sound crazy, but it's true. You said you believe in aliens."

"Well, yeah, but…" It was one thing to think aliens exist, it was another to have proof.

"I need you to believe me, Kyleigh."

Kyleigh wasn't sure what to think. The look in Mickey's eyes made her believe him, though.

"Ok, so why did she run off with an alien?"

"I don't…I don't know."

Mickey sat on the couch and put his head in his hands. Kyleigh sat next to him, putting a comforting arm around him.

"What do you know about this doctor? Does he have another name?"

Mickey sighed. "I don't know much. He didn't mention another name."

"Well, we'll figure this out together."

Mickey looked at Kyleigh and gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Ky."

Kyleigh smiled back. "What are friends for? Now, tell me exactly what happened last night."

Mickey began explaining how Rose came over to use his computer to look up this doctor. There was this whole website dedicated to the Doctor run by this guy named Clive. Rose had contacted him and soon Mickey was driving her to meet him.

That's when things got weird. Mickey explained that while he was waiting for Rose - though if Mickey was worried Clive was a murderer why didn't he go in with her was beyond Kyleigh, but she let it slide - a garbage can started moving. Mickey went to investigate, but when he put his hands on it he couldn't get them off. He was stuck. And then…

"Hold up. You got eaten by a garbage can?" Kyleigh was trying her best not to laugh. She tried covering it up with a cough, but Mickey gave her a look. "Sorry."

"I know how it sounds. I went through it and I'm still having a hard time believing it."

"Ok. So, what happened when you were um...eaten by the garbage can?"

Mickey hung his head. He was never going to live that down. He looked back at Kyleigh. "I ended up in a basement where there was this nest of consciousness or something. That's what was making the mannequins come to life."

"I'm assuming this doctor stopped it. The mannequins stopped."

"Yeah, with the help of Rose. We escaped in his space ship. He asked Rose to go with him, but she said no so he left."

"I thought you said-"

"He came back. Told her his ship could also travel in time and off she went."

"A spaceship and a time machine? That's am...that's rude of her just to go off." Kyleigh changed what she was going to say when Mickey gave her a look. "Well, if it really is a time machine then I'm sure she'll be back in no time. Until then, why don't we go visit this Clive guy." Kyleigh stood up.

"Why would you want to go see him?"

"You said he runs a whole website dedicated to the Doctor, right? What better way to learn about him?"

"That's true. Come on."

The two of them left Mickey's place, got in his car, and made their way to Clive's.

"Are you all right?" Mickey asked. "I know you don't like cars, but-"

"I'm fine." Kyleigh cut him off. "I've been in cars since...since that accident."

"I know. It's just that you're holding onto the door handle awfully tight."

Kyleigh glanced down and saw that she was holding so tight that her knuckles were turning white; she loosened her grip.

"I've just been thinking of my parents a lot, especially on the day they died. Guess it just has me on edge."

"I understand."

They soon came to Clive's house and Kyleigh made Mickey come with her. Whatever she learned from Clive she didn't want to have to repeat it so it was just easier to have Mickey there. Also, she didn't want to go in there alone.

The woman who answered the door, Kyleigh assumed, was Clive's wife. Her eyes were red and her face was wet with tears.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Kyleigh said. "but is Clive home?"

"He um...he died...yesterday in the um, the attack."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"How did you know him."

"We didn't really. We just saw...I'm sorry. We'll be going now." Kyleigh turned and left, Mickey followed her.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Mickey said when they got back in the car. "It's the Doctor's fault. If he hadn't have come here-"

"A lot more people would have died."

Mickey looked at Kyleigh. "You're defending him?"

"I'm not defending him. I don't even know him, but you said the Doctor and Rose stopped that consciousness thing. If they didn't then more people would have died, me included. If the Doctor did save the city then I'm grateful to him."

"But he took Rose."

"From what you said she went willing. And as I've said, if she really is in a time machine she'll come back soon. For now, why don't we just go back to your place and we'll do our own research."

"Fine."

When they got back to Mickey's, Kyleigh made them some lunch. They then went onto his computer and researched the Doctor.

And that's how their day went, eating and researching. Occasionally, they would take a break from research and talk about conspiracies. They started with alien conspiracies, which led them to government conspiracies. Somehow, their conversation turned to recent movies. They playfully argued back and forth about which movies were the best and which ones were the worst. At one point Mickey told Kyleigh the only reason she liked one movie was because an actor she thought was good looking was in it; Kyleigh didn't deny it.

After a while longer of talking about random things, Kyleigh stood up and stretched. "Well, I think it's time for me to head home."

"Thanks for coming over today."

"No problem. Hey, do you think we should tell Jackie about Rose?"

"Oh yeah, that will be a nice conversation. "Hey Jackie, lovely weather we're having. By the way, your daughter ran off with an alien in a blue box." Somehow, I don't think she'd believe us."

"You're right. She'd think we've gone mad. Hopefully Rose will come back before any of us have time to miss her."

"And if she doesn't?"

"She will. She wouldn't just leave us."

Mickey just nodded.

Kyleigh gave him a hug. "Get some sleep tonight, yeah?"

"All right."

Kyleigh said good-bye then made her way back home. She was hoping that Rose would come back before too long. Kyleigh wouldn't know what to tell Jackie if she didn't. There was no way she and Mickey could explain it. Jackie would never believe it.

Kyleigh stopped walking as she glanced up at the sky. Wherever Rose was, she hoped she was safe.

* * *

**Thank you TheDoctorAllTheWay for the review. I'm glad you're loving it so far. Sorry, the Doctor wasn't in this one but fear not, he will come soon. ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I did a very minor change to the story. I changed Kyleigh's last name from Denison to Chase. Told you it was very minor. ^_^ Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

Today was a day Kyleigh wished Rose was here to give her encouraging words. It would also be nice to have a time machine right about now so she could just skip to tomorrow.

The truth was she couldn't skip her interview, though she'd be lying to herself if she said that thought didn't cross her mind. She could just keep walking and say she lost track of time. Of course, she would receive a lecture from her aunt. It was better to just get this over with.

So here she was, sitting in a lawyer's office for an interview. Isn't there a rule against relatives working in the same place? They would be working on different floors, though.

"Kyleigh Chase?"

Kyleigh glanced up at the woman who called her. She was wearing a black suit, with her black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Kyleigh stood up. "Yes, I'm Kyleigh Chase."

The woman smiled as she held out her hand; Kyleigh shook it. "I'm Stacy Long. Please, follow me."

Stacy led Kyleigh in the back to her office. Once Kyleigh was inside Stacy shut the door and told her to take a seat. Stacy sat on the other side of the desk.

"Your aunt spoke highly of you." Stacy said.

Kyleigh tensed. Why did Aunt Carol have to do that? If this interview doesn't go well then not only will it make Kyleigh look bad, but it will also come back to her aunt.

Kyleigh relaxed. "I'm sure she exaggerates some."

"Family has been known to do that. Just so you know you will be offered this job based on this interview, not because of your aunt."

"I understand. I wouldn't want to get a job just because she helped me."

"That's good to know. Now, tell me about yourself."

"Um, well, I'm eighteen and mature for my age. I graduated school with very good grades. I'm a hard-working and can multi-task."

"What would you consider you greatest strength?"

"My greatest strength would be my creativity."

"What about your weakness?"

Being organized is what Kyleigh wanted to say, but that probably wouldn't sound good since she was interviewing for a secretary position.

"Um, I would say talking to large crowd. I just get so nervous with all those eyes on me and then my mind goes blank and I…" Kyleigh trailed off when she realized she was rambling. She mentally slapped herself.

"Why would you be a good fit here?"

Kyleigh stared blankly as she tried to come up with a good reason. Why would she be a good fit? She had no idea.

"I uh…I can multi-task. And I'll work very hard."

Kyleigh knew as the interview went on that it wasn't going well. A few times she took a minute before she answered. By the time it was over she knew she didn't get the job.

"I'll be in touch." Stacy said.

"Thank you for your time." Kyleigh shook Stacy's hand, and then left the building. All she wanted to do was hide.

When she got home she did just that. She borrowed her uncle's laptop and hid in her room to do more research on the Doctor

Kyleigh lost track of time. She didn't think she was on the internet that long. She was snapped out of her reading when Carol called her; she did not sound happy. Kyleigh shut down the computer and reluctantly left her room.

Carol turned towards Kyleigh when she walked in. Kyleigh took a step back as she saw the anger in her aunt's eyes.

"Did you mess up that interview on purpose?"

"What? No."

"I know you don't want to work as a secretary, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do."

"I didn't mess it up on purpose. You know how I get when I'm nervous."

"You need to get over it. I'm not going to support you forever."

"I know. I just-"

"I'm giving you a week."

"What?"

"You have a week to get a job."

Kyleigh was afraid to ask what would happen if she didn't get a job by then. Her aunt wouldn't kick her out…would she? Kyleigh decided she didn't want to find out so she agreed.

That night Kyleigh took her painting supplies up to the roof. As she painted she thought about her life. Things didn't turn out the way she thought they would. Rose would have advice for her, she always did.

Kyleigh glanced up at the stars, wishing Rose would come back soon.

* * *

The next few days didn't get any easier. Rose still hadn't come back. Kyleigh was beginning to wonder if what Mickey said was true. Did Rose really go off with an alien in a blue box? What if Mickey was lying?

Kyleigh shook her head. Mickey wouldn't lie about something like that. Why would he? And if Rose did go with this doctor person willingly why hasn't she come back yet? She should know that her family and friends would worry.

A horrible thought struck Kyleigh. What if Rose was dead? What if something terrible happened to her? What if she never comes back?

No, she can't think like that. Rose is perfectly fine and she will be back.

Ringing brought Kyleigh out of her thoughts. Glancing at her phone, she saw Jackie was calling again. Jackie had been calling a few times a day now, asking if Kyleigh had seen or heard from Rose. Kyleigh said she hadn't and every time she did she felt bad. She wanted so much to tell Jackie what Mickey had told her but she knew that conversation wouldn't end well.

Sighing, Kyleigh answered the phone. "I'm sorry, Jackie, I haven't heard from her yet."

"It's been days. Why hasn't she called to let me know where she is? What if she's been kidnapped?"

That thought had crossed Kyleigh's mind. "I'm sure she's fine."

"If she is then why hasn't she come home?"

Kyleigh was silent. She had no answer.

"I'm worried, Kyleigh."

"I know. I'm worried too. I'm sure she'll be back soon and she'll explain everything to us."

"I hope so."

As soon as Kyleigh was off the phone with Jackie she called Mickey. They made plans to meet up. She put on her shoes then made her way out. Before she made it out the door, Carol stopped her.

"I hope you're rushing out to put in job applications."

Kyleigh sighed in annoyance. "I put in a few yesterday and the day before that."

"So where are you off to?"

"I'm meeting up with Mickey."

"Kyleigh-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Later." She then rushed out the door.

She met Mickey a few blocks from her place. They grabbed a cup of coffee, and then walked around the city.

"I can't take this, Ky. Why would Rose do this?"

"I don't have answers. We just have to hope that she'll be back soon and explain."

"If that ship really can travel in time why is she waiting so long to come back?"

"I don't know, Mickey. I just…don't know."

The two of the continued walking and talking for a while longer before deciding to head home. Once Kyleigh was home she hid in her room, which she had been doing a lot the last few days. It was mostly because she wanted to avoid her aunt, but she also wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

She glanced at the painting she had started before Rose went missing. She hadn't worked on it much. For some reason she had lost some of her motivation.

"Kyleigh, can you come here?" Harold hollered.

Sighing, Kyleigh stood from her bed and made her way out of her room. When she walked into the living room she saw a couple of police.

"These policemen are here to talk to you about Rose." Harold said.

Dread filled Kyleigh. She should have expected that if Rose didn't come home in a few days Jackie would call the police. What was she going to say? No way was she telling them Rose flew off with an alien. They would lock her up.

Kyleigh nodded as she thought this was getting serious.

The police asked her the usual questions, when was the last time you saw Rose Tyler? When was the last time you spoke to her? Does she have any enemies that would want to hurt her? Kyleigh could honestly say that she had not seen Rose the day she disappeared, but she had spoken to her. And Rose had no enemies...though if she was travelling around with an alien doctor she may have some now but she didn't say that.

Once the police were done questioning her they left.

"Maybe she ran away." Carol said when she shut the door.

"Rose has no reason to run away." Kyleigh said.

"People have secrets, Kyleigh. You may not know someone as well as you think."

"I've known Rose since we were kids. She wouldn't run away." Kyleigh then went back to her room. She didn't want to admit to herself that going off in a spaceship with the Doctor was running away.

Kyleigh collapsed on her bed, hoping things would be ok. She grabbed her phone as she thought about calling Rose again. The last time she had tried it said the phone was no longer in service. She would probably get the same thing again but she had to try.

Kyleigh held her breath as she dialed the number. When she pressed send she let out the breath she was holding when the phone started to ring. Her spirits lifted, thinking she would finally get answers. Her hope was soon gone when the phone went to voice mail.

"Rose, its Kyleigh. I don't know what's going on, but you've been gone for days. Your mom is worried and has the police involved. Please, please, call me back and let me know you're all right. And please, come home."

Kyleigh hung up. Worry crept over her again. She hated not knowing, especially when it came to her best friend.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: I'm glad you are liking the story. Thanks for the review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Five months. Five long, painful months that Rose has been gone. Kyleigh couldn't understand how hard it was to pick up the phone and call just to say she was all right.

One good thing was Kyleigh had a job. She only worked part-time, much to the annoyance of her aunt. When she wasn't working she was trying to keep Mickey sane. This was hard on him most of all. It didn't help that Jackie was saying he murdered Rose.

At the moment Kyleigh was at Jackie's place, trying to keep her from losing it. Kyleigh sat in the chair while Jackie paced around the room.

"It's been five months. Five months! Why hasn't she called? Where is she?"

Five months ago Kyleigh would have said Rose would be home soon and explain everything. She stopped saying that a month after Rose disappeared. She still had hope she would return, but the big question was when?

"I wish I had an answer for you, Jackie. I…" Kyleigh trailed off. What could she say that she hasn't said already? She was sounding like a broken record.

Jackie sat down. "I remember the day you two first met. Rose was eight and you were seven."

Kyleigh gave a small smile.

"You were always sitting in the park by yourself with your sketch pad."

"I remember. Rose came up to me to see what I was drawing. That was a few months after my parents died. She me got to talk."

"Friends are better than therapists."

"And cheaper."

"Couldn't keep you two apart after that."

Silence fell upon them, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. After the death of her parents Kyleigh stopped talking. Her aunt and uncle had sent her to a therapist; it didn't help. It took a while after meeting Rose but Kyleigh began talking again.

"You know, I don't want to believe he did it." Jackie said, bringing Kyleigh out of her thoughts.

"Are you talking about Mickey? He didn't do it. Mickey can barely kill a spider. He wouldn't kill Rose."

"But what happened to her?"

Kyleigh sighed. "I wish I knew."

Kyleigh soon left Jackie's and made her way over to Mickey's place. She made it a habit that once she got done talking to one she would talk to the other. It was tiring sometimes, but Kyleigh wanted to keep their spirits up. She also wanted Jackie to stop spreading rumors about Mickey but that probably wouldn't change anytime soon.

"Is she still saying it's me?" Mickey asked when Kyleigh arrived.

Kyleigh was silent.

"Yeah, I thought so. You know, I was taken in for questioning again."

"Again? That's the third time. Are you sure we shouldn't tell Jackie?"

"We've been over this, Kyleigh. Jackie would never believe us."

Kyleigh sighed. "I don't like this. I've tried calling Rose but all it does is ring."

"She can get service in space?"

Kyleigh shrugged.

"I hope she's all right."

"Me, too."

After a while of talking, Kyleigh headed home. It had been a long day and she could use a nap. Unfortunately, Kyleigh didn't get her nap when she got home.

"We need to talk." Harold said.

"All right. What about?" Kyleigh had a feeling what he was going to say.

"Your aunt and I are worried about you. You've been spending a lot of time with Jackie and Mickey trying to find Rose."

"And that's a problem?"

"No, but it shouldn't consume your life. You're only working part-time and-"

"I know Aunt Carol is angry with me that I'm not working full-time, but at least I have a job. And Rose is my best friend. I'm not giving up on her."

"What happened to all your plans? I thought you applied to collage a few months ago?"

"I did, but I…I didn't get in."

"Well, there are other colleges."

"I'm doing just fine."

"You don't want to work in a bookstore the rest of your life, do you?"

"So what if I do? It's my life and I'll do as I please."

Kyleigh stormed off to her room and slammed her door. Why were they so determined to have Kyleigh go to college and do something important with her life? If Kyleigh could she would just stay in her room the rest of her life just painting.

Painting.

Kyleigh glanced at her still unfinished painting. She then opened the drawer on her nightstand and took out the letter she received from the college she applied to. She had applied before Rose left. When she received the letter she didn't open it for longest time, afraid of what it would say. Finally, after a few weeks of it sitting in her room she opened it. Kyleigh had been accepted to an art school in France. She decided not to go.

Kyleigh put the letter back then grabbed her photo album. As she flipped through it she thought about the good times. She wondered if she would ever create good memories with Rose again.

* * *

The months passed and still there was no sign of Rose. Kyleigh tried to keep the hope that she would come back, but it has been almost one year. Kyleigh was beginning to think that maybe this doctor is keeping Rose away for some reason. Or maybe Rose is…

Kyleigh shook her head. She can't think like that. Some days, however, were better than other days. Today was one of the bad days. She was trying to pay attention at work, really she was. It didn't help that a few of her co-workers were talking about a new horror movie that came out. That only added to the scenarios Kyleigh has thought of.

As she was putting some books away she tried thinking of other things. Maybe when she got home she would finally finish that painting that has been untouched in months. Or she and Mickey can go see a comedy. They could both do with something good right now. Or maybe…

"So, the killer was waiting inside the closet and grabbed her from behind and then-" Whatever the killer did, her co-worker didn't get to finish. At the moment Kyleigh had a horrible thought and dropped the books she held in her hand, plus some from the shelves.

Everyone turned towards her.

"Sorry." She said as she began picking up the books.

"Kyleigh, may I see you in my office?"

Kyleigh glanced over at her boss. She had a feeling whatever he wanted to talk about it wasn't anything good. Kyleigh set the books down and went into the office; her boss closed the door behind her. Kyleigh sat down as her boss sat on the other side of the desk.

"Kyleigh, you haven't been working your best lately."

"I'm sorry."

"I know your friend has been missing for quite a while, but you can't let that get in the way of your life."

You sound like my aunt and uncle, Kyleigh thought. Then she said, "I know I've messed up a little, but I-"

"A little? You messed up an order over the phone, getting the person the wrong books. You overcharged someone by scanning a book twice. You miscounted when it came to the money at the end of one day and we thought we were short. Should I continue?"

"No, please."

"I'm sorry, Kyleigh, but I'm going to have to let you go."

"Please, don't. I need this job. My aunt will be angry with me."

"Not my problem. You can pick up you last paycheck tomorrow."

Kyleigh just nodded as she stood and left the room. Once she grabbed her things she left the bookstore.

She couldn't believe she got fired. Aunt Carol was going to be so angry with her. Maybe she didn't have to tell her just yet. Kyleigh could keep it a secret for a little while, at least until she finds another job. Hopefully her aunt won't find out. She dreaded what would happen.

Instead of going home, Kyleigh made her way to the café she and Rose usually go to. She hadn't been there in a long time. She ordered her coffee, and then sat at one of the tables outside.

As she sipped her coffee she watched the people walk by. Look at them, going about with their lives. Kyleigh knew that everyone had things going on in their lives that others don't know about, but she couldn't help feeling jealous of them. People were smiling, laughing, and having fun. And here she was, trying to hold back tears with thoughts of her friend dead.

Kyleigh finished her coffee then headed home. Now she had to figure out how she was going to spend her days until she got another job. If Aunt Carol got a hint that she lost her job there was going to be a lecturing that would most likely involve yelling on both sides. Her uncle would probably take his wife's side like he always did.

That night didn't get any better. She couldn't get the many horrible thoughts out of her head. She knew she had to go forward with her life. She couldn't dwell on this forever, but it was easier said than done. How do people expect her to just forget? In a way it was worse than when her parents died. At least with them she knew they were dead. She didn't know if Rose was alive or dead.

Kyleigh put her headphones in her ears as she turned on some happy music. Hopefully it will give her some pleasant dreams.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: Thanks for letting me know to change that in the summery. Totally forgot about that. (Obviously haha) Thanks for the review!**

**Irrelevant86: Glad you are loving the story. Thanks for the review!**

**And guess who is coming back next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A few announcements before we get started. First, just letting people know that this will not only be a rewrite of the episodes. I will be putting my own adventures in. Second, this will probably be the last update for a while. I'm participating in nation novel writing month in November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month so that will be taking all of my time. Maybe I will update once more before the end of the month. Now, on with the story where Kyleigh finally meets the Doctor!**

* * *

Kyleigh was again over at Jackie's place. There was barely a day that went by that she wasn't there. It had been one year since Rose disappeared; a very rough year. There were nights where Kyleigh did nothing but cry. Rose had been her very best friend and now she was lost. She never would give up hope that Rose was out there somewhere alive. Her aunt tried to tell her to accept that Rose might be...but Kyleigh couldn't do that.

Even though Rose had gone off with an alien and probably wasn't on Earth, it made Kyleigh feel a little better that she was putting up missing posters for Rose. At least she was doing something. Also, doing that didn't make her feel so useless even though she knew they wouldn't get an answer for the posters.

At the moment, Kyleigh was sitting at the table as she sorted the missing person papers. She had so many stacks of them there was barely an inch of table that could be seen. Even though there were already hundreds of papers with their missing Rose posted all over the city, Kyleigh was still going to put more up.

She glanced at the area around her. "Where's my phone?"

"It's in here." Jackie said from the kitchen.

Kyleigh stood and walked into the kitchen. Jackie was leaning on the counter with her head in her hands.

Kyleigh put a hand on her shoulder. "We will find her, Jackie. I know she's still alive." Now she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince Jackie.

Jackie looked at her. "Thanks, sweetheart. I don't how I would have made it this year without you."

Kyleigh smiled at her sadly.

Jackie then grabbed her cup and headed back in the other room. Kyleigh looked at her phone. There were no missed calls or new messages. She felt completely useless. It had been a whole year with no clues as to where Rose could be. How could she do this to them?

Kyleigh was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard something break. She rushed into the other room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jackie hugging the one person Kyleigh was beginning to think she would never see again.

"Rose?"

Before anything else was said, a man came running into the house. "Sorry, it hasn't been twelve hours. It's been twelve months."

Kyleigh looked between the man and Rose. If he was the Doctor and had a time machine why did he bring her back a year later? She wanted to just go up to him and smack him, but she resisted. She was still trying to process that she was seeing Rose.

Jackie was soon on the phone with the police. Kyleigh still hadn't moved from where she stood. Maybe she had just dozed off. That had to be it.

Rose stepped in front of her. "Ky?"

"Rose?" She still couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm back."

Kyleigh was hesitant, but she hugged her friend. "You're here. I've missed you." She then turned her attention to the man. "Rose, who's he?"

"This is the Doctor." Rose said.

"And where have you been this past year?" Jackie said, once she got off the phone.

"I was...travelling."

"Were you kidnapped? Did he kidnap you?" Kyleigh asked, glancing back at the Doctor.

"Oi, I don't kidnap." The Doctor said.

"No, he didn't kidnap me. I went on my own free will."

"But where have you been?" Jackie asked.

"I told you. Travelling." Rose answered.

Things didn't get any better when the cop showed up. Rose kept saying she was travelling, but she refused to say where she's been travelling to.

"You couldn't bother to pick up a phone and let me know you're all right?" Jackie said. She was clearly upset and Kyleigh didn't blame her. She was also a little upset that Rose hadn't phoned.

"I'm sorry, I just forgot."

"What? For a whole year?"

"That was my fault. I'm sorry." The Doctor said. "I sort of employed Rose as my companion."

"When you say companion do you mean in a sexual way?" The cop asked.

Both Rose and the Doctor said, "No!"

"He says he's a doctor, but I don't believe that." Jackie said.

"I am a doctor."

"Oh yeah, then prove it. Stitch this." Jackie then slapped the Doctor across the face. Rose gasped in shock, though Kyleigh wasn't. This is the man that had taken Rose from them for a year. She still had an urge to slap him too.

After a few more minutes of talking and trying to get Rose to tell where exactly she has been, the cop left. Now that Rose was home the case was closed, but Jackie would not let it go.

Jackie and Rose went in the kitchen to talk privately, leaving Kyleigh alone with this doctor person. She stared at him as she tried to work out if he was a good guy or a bad guy. Rose didn't seem afraid of him or anything so they must be good friends. But if he was a good guy then why did he leave with Rose for so long?

"Why are you staring at me?" The Doctor said.

"I'm just trying to figure you out, is all."

"Not much to figure out."

"You took Rose away for a year, yet she doesn't seem angry or afraid of you. So tell me, Doctor, who are you? And what are you a doctor of?"

"I'm just the Doctor. And I didn't mean to keep Rose away for so long. Meant to come twelve hours after she came with me."

Kyleigh raised an eyebrow. "So your ship, it's really a time machine? Not very good at piloting it, are you?"

The Doctor first looked offended, and then he looked at her with curiosity. "How do you know about my ship?"

Kyleigh smirked. "I'm psychic."

Now the Doctor stared at her like he was trying to figure her out.

Before anything else was said, Rose came out of the kitchen and made her way to the front door. "I can't deal with this right now."

She left and the Doctor followed her.

"She still won't tell me where she's been." Jackie said. "And that frightens me. What if this man has done something to her to make her afraid of talking?"

"I'll talk to her. Maybe she'll open up to me."

"Thanks. I would appreciate that."

Kyleigh left, pretty sure that Rose went up to the roof. She and Rose had spent a lot of time up there talking about problems they had, and what they were going to do in the future.

As Kyleigh got close, she could hear Rose and the Doctor talking. She thought about just staying here and eavesdropping, but she thought against it. It wouldn't be very nice and she didn't want to find out what Rose has been doing if she wasn't ready to talk. Shaking her head, Kyleigh walked the rest of the way over to them.

"Thought you might be up here." She said.

Rose looked over at her. "Sorry. I just couldn't deal with mum right now."

"I understand." Kyleigh glanced at the Doctor then back at Rose. "You can always tell me where you've been if...if you can't talk to your mum about it."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Before Rose could say anything more, a loud noise was heard. They all looked up and saw a spaceship crashing. They ducked as it flew over them, and then it hit Big Ben before going down into the water.

"Well, that's just not fair." Rose said.

Kyleigh glanced at her, feeling like she missed part of a conversation.

Rose and the Doctor started making their way down to the street.

"Where are you going?" Kyleigh asked as she followed.

"Big spaceship lands in London? Where do you think?" The Doctor said.

"Rose, what about your mum?"

Rose glanced back. "Just tell her I'll be right back."

Kyleigh stopped as she watched Rose and the Doctor run off. Rose just got back and already she was running off again. Kyleigh wanted to run off after them to make sure Rose didn't disappear, but she couldn't just leave Jackie without telling her something. With her mind made up, she went back inside.

"Well, what did she say? Where is she?" Jackie asked as soon as Kyleigh walked through the door.

"Uh, she didn't say anything. A spaceship crashed and she went to go see what's happening."

"Why would she do that? She just got back."

Kyleigh just shrugged.

Kyleigh then grabbed her phone and called her uncle, telling him that Rose came back. He didn't believe her at first, but she handed the phone to Jackie who confirmed it. Harold decided he was coming over. He had to see for himself that Rose was back.

Rose and the Doctor soon came back and turned the TV on to the news. A few of Jackie's friends had come over; to see if Rose was actually alive or to watch about the UFO crash Kyleigh wasn't sure.

Harold showed up and was surprised to see Rose. He told her that he was glad she was safe. Kyleigh gave him a look that said I-told-you-she-was-alive. When he asked where Rose had been he received the same answer as Jackie; traveling

Kyleigh turned her attention to the TV.

"Big Ben has been destroyed as a UFO crash landed in central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from all across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of emergency has been declared."

"Why do people start looting whenever a crisis happens?" Kyleigh wondered. No one paid her any attention as they were interested in their own conversations or were watching the news.

"It's a hoax." Harold said. "It has to be."

"What makes you so sure?" Kyleigh asked.

"There is no such thing as aliens."

Kyleigh quickly glanced over at the Doctor then back at her uncle. "With as big as the universe is we can't be the only ones out there."

"If aliens existed I'm sure we would know by now."

Kyleigh was about to reply, but stopped when she heard the reporters say they found a body. She looked at the TV.

"It's unconfirmed, but I'm being told that a body of non-terrestrial origins has been found. It's being brought ashore." The reporter said.

A newscaster then came on. "Unconfirmed reports say the body is of extraterrestrial origin. An extraordinary event is unfolding here live in central London."

"It's fake." Harold said.

Kyleigh shook her head.

After a few more minutes of watching the news, the Doctor walked outside; Rose followed him.

"So, who is that man exactly?" Harold asked.

Kyleigh shrugged. "Don't know exactly. He's called the Doctor and Rose has been with him for the past year."

"Something's not right with him. And why doesn't Rose say exactly where she's been?"

"Don't ask me. She hasn't told me anything."

Rose came back and sat in the chair; Kyleigh sat closer to her. "Where is he off to?"

"Nowhere, he said. Said it was too human in here."

"So, he's an alien then? Mickey told me."

"Yeah, he's an alien. Oh, you've got questions for him, don't you?" Rose asked when Kyleigh smiled.

"You know I've always believed there were aliens out there. It's good to know I'm not another nutter like my aunt and uncle say. So then, you've been in space?"

"Yeah, and it's wonderful out there."

"Here's to the Martians." Jackie said as she raised her glass of wine.

"To the Martians!" Everyone else said, excluding Kyleigh, Rose, and Harold.

Everyone then became quiet. Both Kyleigh and Rose turned around and saw Mickey standing in the doorway. It's then Kyleigh scolded herself. With everything that happened she forgot to let Mickey know Rose was back. How could she do that to him?

"I was gonna come see you." Rose said.

"Someone owes Mickey an apology." Someone said.

"I'm sorry."

"Not you."" The woman looked at Jackie.

"It's not my fault." Jackie said. "What was I supposed to think?" She then went into the kitchen. Rose, Kyleigh, and Mickey follow her

"You just appear and who do they turn to? Your boyfriend." Mickey said. "Five times I was taken in for questioning. Of course there was no evidence. How could there be? And then I get your mother, whispering around the estate, pointing the finger."

"I didn't think I'd be gone so long." Rose said

"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?" Kyleigh asked.

"I don't know. It was just a spur of the moment thing."

"For twelve months I was waiting for you." Mickey said. "Waiting for you and the Doctor."

"Hold on, you knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?" Jackie asked.

"I told you we should've told her." Kyleigh said.

Jackie looked at her. "You knew too?"

Mickey noticed some people trying to listen to the conversation so he slammed the door shut and closed the shutters to the window dividing the kitchen and living room.

"How could we tell you where she went? Mickey said.

"Tell me now."

"I might as well 'cause you're stuck here." Mickey told Rose. "The Doctor went into his blue box and faded away."

"He wouldn't." Rose said.

"He's left you. Some boyfriend he turned out to be."

Rose ran out as the others followed. Harold also followed

"Where are you going in such a rush?" He asked.

"Just to check something out. We shouldn't be long." Kyleigh answered.

Her uncle didn't take that as a hint to stay so he continued to follow them. They soon stopped outside.

"He wouldn't just go. He promised." Rose said.

"He's dumped you, Rose. How does it feel now that you're left behind with us Earthlings?" Mickey asked.

"What are you going on about? What's this doctor done now?" Jackie asked.

"Who is this Doctor?" Harold asked.

"He's vamoosed." Mickey said.

"He's not. He gave me this." Rose took out a key. "And he's not my boyfriend. He is much more important."

Everyone was silent as a wheezing noise sounded. Kyleigh watched with disbelief and amazement as a blue box started to materialize in front of them.

"That is way cool." She said.

"I said so." Rose said. She then turned to her mum and Harold. "You two should go inside."

The noise stopped as the box fully materialized in front of them.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: As you have read, Kyleigh did not slap the Doctor in this one but she might when things calm down. Who knows? **


	7. Chapter 7

"That is way cool." Kyleigh said.

"I said so." Rose said. She then turned to her mum and Harold. "You two should go inside."

The noise stopped as the box fully materialized.

"How did that happen?" Jackie asked at the same time Harold said, "It has to be a trick with mirrors."

Rose quickly ran into the box. Kyleigh stood there as she wondered about this mysterious blue box. Mickey had mentioned it but she never pictured it like this. She peered inside, seeing how big it was she quickly circled the box as she poked it. She then made her way inside, her eyes widening in fascination. How did he get the outside around the inside? Never in her wildest dreams could she think of this.

Kyleigh was snapped back to reality when she heard Mickey say, "I was a murder suspect because of you."

As Mickey was arguing with Doctor, Harold said, "This is impossible." He then ran out of the box with Jackie right behind him.

"Mum." Rose hollered. She turned to the Doctor. "Don't go anywhere." She then turned to Mickey. "Don't start a fight." She looked at Kyleigh. "Make sure they don't kill each other." Rose then ran out.

"This is amazing." Kyleigh said as she looked around. She looked at the Doctor. "How is it that you get the outside around the inside?"

The Doctor looked at her. "That's not what people normally say."

"What do people normally say?"

"It's bigger on the inside." He then looked back at the screen.

"Oh."

Rose rushed back inside. "So, the crash was a fake? Are they invading?" She asked

"Funny way to invade, putting the whole planet on red alert." Mickey said.

"Good point." The Doctor said, sounding mildly impressed. "So what are they up to?"

"Faking a crash landing won't get aliens anything...will it?" Kyleigh said.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Jackie asked as she and Harold walked back to her flat.

"Yes I saw."

"How is that possible?"

"Don't ask me. I'm only an electrician."

They soon arrived back at Jackie's place. People were still there watching the news. Jackie went to her room while Harold stood by the door.

Harold can usually explain things. Everything could be explained, but he had no explanation for what he saw. The inside was…well, he wasn't quite sure what it was. The box appearing could be explained with mirrors. Inside the box completely puzzled him. Who exactly is this doctor?

Harold went to go check on Jackie. She was in her room pacing and looking lost.

"Jackie, are you all right?"

"No. Rose just got back from missing for a year. She was with the Doctor and I have no idea who he is and now there's this spaceship that crashed and Rose is going off again." She sat on her bed with the sigh.

"Well, we'll just have to make Rose explain everything when she comes back up."

Jackie looked at him. "How well does that work with Kyleigh?"

Harold frowned. "Not at all, actually."

Jackie looked at the telly where a reporter was saying that if anyone knows anything or has seen any other sightings of aliens to call this number.

"I should call." Jackie said, looking at Harold. "Rose and Kyleigh could be in danger."

Harold agreed.

Jackie grabbed the phone and dialed the number. The line was busy so she hung up and dialed again. Again it was busy. She tried a third time and this time it started ringing.

As Jackie was talking on the phone Harold thought about the Doctor. He didn't know who he was but a man of his age should not be hanging around nineteen year olds. The Doctor had to have done something to Rose to make her afraid of saying where she's been. Now Kyleigh was getting caught up with the Doctor and he would not stand by his while his niece was in danger.

* * *

As the Doctor was under the console Kyleigh stood next to Rose. "I can't believe you've been traveling in this…what did you call it?"

"It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

"Right. So, you've been traveling in the TARDIS and traveling in time and space? I'm jealous. Why didn't you invite me?"

"I told you it was a spur of the moment."

Kyleigh was about to reply but at that point Mickey came over. "Some friend you've got there."

"He's winding you up." Rose said. "I'm sorry."

"You know, every day I looked. On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."

"It's only been a few days for me."

"Really? So, do you consider yourself nineteen still?" Kyleigh asked.

"I suppose so."

Kyleigh smiled. "Guess that makes us the same age now. Weird. Did you miss us?"

"Of course I did." Rose looked at Mickey. "Have you been seeing anyone?"

"No." Mickey answered.

"Because everyone thinks he murdered you." Kyleigh said.

"So…now that you're back are you going to stay?" Mickey asked.

The sound of sparks came from under the console, making the three of them look over at the Doctor.

"Got it!" The Doctor said as he jumped up and looked at the computer screen. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of the spaceship. Hold on." He hit the screen. Kyleigh moved to watch. "That's the spaceship on the way to Earth except… there. See, the spaceship did a slingshot around the earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It came from Earth, right?" Kyleigh asked. "So, does that mean the aliens have been here for a while?"

The Doctor looked at her, impressed. "That's right. The question is, what have they been doing?" He then started flipping through the channels. He stopped. "Hold on, I know that bloke."

"It is looking like the government is bringing in alien specialists, those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space." The reporter said.

"UNIT! United Nations Intelligence Task Force, good people."

"How do you know them?" Rose asked.

"He worked for them." Both Kyleigh and Mickey said.

Mickey then said, "We read up on you Doctor. You look deep enough on the Internet and in the history books and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead."

"That's nice." The Doctor said. "Hang on." He turned to Kyleigh. "He's the one who told you about my ship. That's how you knew."

Kyleigh smiled innocently at him as she shrugged.

"So, if you know those people why don't you go and help?" Rose asked.

"They wouldn't recognize me." The Doctor answered. "Besides, the world's on a knife's edge. Aliens are faking aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover and better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car, you can do the driving."

"Where to?" Mickey asked.

"The roads are clearing let's go and have a look at the spaceship."

The four of them made their way out of the TARDIS and a spotlight immediately shined on them.

"Do not move." Someone said over a loudspeaker.

Police cars and soldiers surrounded them with guns pointed at them. Kyleigh put her hands up, hoping they wouldn't shoot her. She was sure if the soldier shot her it would be worse than when the mannequin shot her last year

Mickey was able to make a run for it and hid behind some dustbins.

"That's my daughter." Jackie said as two soldiers held her back.

"You are under arrest." The person on loudspeaker said.

"Take me to your leader." The Doctor said.

"How original." Kyleigh said.

The three of them got in a police car with the Doctor getting in first, followed by Rose and then Kyleigh.

"This is a bit posh. If I knew being arrested was like this I would've done it years ago." Rose said.

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted." The Doctor said.

"Escorted? Where to?" Kyleigh asked.

"Downing Street."

Kyleigh glanced out the window and saw a glimpse of her uncle. She had a feeling this was not going to end well. She didn't want to think of what he was going to tell Aunt Carol.

The car soon pulled up to 10 Downing Street. As Kyleigh got out of the car she saw more police cars and paparazzi taking pictures. The Doctor waved at them. Kyleigh always dreamed about being famous and having her picture taken, but this was not quite what she dreamed of.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, I am Indra. Could we convene?" The man said once they got inside. "Quick as you can, please. This way, on the right. And please ID cards are worn at all times." Indra came up to the Doctor and handed him his ID card. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry your companions don't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her." The Doctor nodded to Rose. "Or her." He nodded towards Kyleigh, which surprised her.

"You're the code 9 not them. I'm sorry, Doctor…it is the Doctor, isn't it? I'm sorry, but they have to stay outside."

"They're staying with me."

"It's alright, you go." Rose said.

"Excuse me, are you the Doctor?" A woman asked as she came up to them.

"Not now, we're busy." Indra said.

The Doctor looked at Rose. "You sure?"

"Yeah, they're the experts you should hear what they have to say."

"Suppose so. Don't get in trouble, either of you." He looked at Kyleigh.

"Yes, sir." Kyleigh said with a mock salute.

The Doctor then headed into the room.

"I just need a private word." The woman said.

"You haven't got clearance, now leave." Indra said. He then started pushing Kyleigh and Rose. "I'm going to leave you two with security."

"I'll look after them. Let me be of some use." The woman then led the two girls away. "Keep walking and don't look around. I'm Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She flashed them her ID card. They stopped in the corridor. "This friend of yours…he's an expert on aliens?"

"Why do you want to know?" Rose asked.

Harriet broke down in tears. Kyleigh shifted from side to side, unsure of what to do. Rose, however, tried to comfort her.

"It's better to show you." Harriet said.

She led them to a cabinet room. Kyleigh stopped when she saw something that looked like a body, but it looked like a suite you could slip on.

"They turn the body into a suite. It's a disguise for the thing inside." Harriet said, showing it to them. She then burst into tears again.

"It's alright I believe you." Rose said. "It's alien. They must have some technology behind this. If we could find it we can use it." Rose started rummaging around the room.

"Are you an expert on aliens now?" Kyleigh asked as she helped Rose look, though she wasn't sure what she was looking for.

"No, I just picked up a few things."

Rose opened a cupboard and a body fell out.

"Oh, my god! Is that…"

Indra entered the room at that moment. "For God's sake. This is going beyond a joke. You cannot just wander-" His eyes landed on the body. "Oh, my god. That's the prime minister."

"Well, look what we have here."

They all turned to see a woman enter the room.

"Looks like someone's been naughty." She said as she shut the door.

This had to be one of the aliens Kyleigh thought. Either that or she was an unstable person.

"Margaret? That's impossible. The prime minister left Downing Street this afternoon." Indra said.

"And who told you that?" Margaret walked closer. "Me."

She swept her hair away to reveal a zipper on her forehead. As she unzipped it, there was a light as the alien wiggled out of the human body suit.

Kyleigh took a step back. The alien was now standing before them. It was taller with green skin and claws. Before any of them could react, the alien grabbed Indra, lifting him off the floor, and strangled him.

Kyleigh watched in horror, frozen where she stood. Ever since she was a little girl she was fascinated with the stars and space. She believed aliens were out there somewhere. In this whole wide universe they couldn't be the only ones. Now that she was facing an alien she didn't think it was amazing. Dread filled her as the thought of dying crossed her mind.

Margaret soon let go of Indra as electricity spread through her body.

"How did that-" Kyleigh started to say, but Rose interrupted her.

"Never mind, just go."

The three of them ran from the room. They didn't get very far when Harriet stopped them.

"The emergency protocols are still in there. We have to get them." Harriet turned around and headed back to the cabinet room; Rose and Kyleigh follow.

"New battle plan." Kyleigh said as she saw Margaret. She, Rose, and Harriet turned and started running the other way.

They ran through the hall and into another one. Rose shut the door behind them, but Margaret smashed through it.

They kept running to the end of the hall. Rose tried to open a door but found it locked. The lift pinged and the doors open, revealing the Doctor. Margaret sees him and growls.

The Doctor just smiles. "Hello." The doors soon closed.

Kyleigh takes that time to open another door, which was unlocked. "In here." The three of them run into the room.

"Hide." Rose said.

Kyleigh didn't see where Rose or Harriet hid. Kyleigh quickly flattened herself on the floor and rolled under the couch. She only realized it was a stupid mistake after she was under there and Margaret walked into the room.

"Oh, such fun." Margaret said playfully. "Little human children, where are you? Come to me. Let me kiss you better."

Kyleigh saw Margaret's feet close to the couch she was hiding under. She held her breath as if that would help her to go unnoticed. It only lasted a few seconds before she had to let out her breath to start breathing again. She prayed silently to whatever God would listen that she wouldn't be discovered.

Margaret walked around to the other side of the couch and stopped. Kyleigh's heart pounded against her chest. She thought Margaret was going to look under the couch, but before she could Margaret turned her attention elsewhere.

"My brothers." Margaret said.

Kyleigh turned her head and saw two pairs of alien feet enter the room.

"Happy hunting?" One of them said.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it the more they stink."

Kyleigh watched the three pairs of feet move about the room as they spoke.

"I can smell an old bird. Stale bread and brittle bones."

"And two ripe youngsters. All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before they snap."

Margaret sweeps the curtain aside, revealing Rose who screams.

Harriet jumps out from her hiding spot. "No! Take me first!"

The Doctor comes running into the room with a fire extinguisher and blasts the contents at the aliens. "Everyone out with me."

Kyleigh rolled out from under the couch and stood next to the Doctor. Rose pulls down the curtain on Margaret, and then she and Harriet run to stand next to the Doctor.

The Doctor glances over at Harriet. "Who the hell are you?"

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

"Nice too meet you."

"Likewise."

The Doctor blasts the fire extinguisher at the aliens and then the four of them take off running.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms." Harriet said. "The emergency protocols are in there. They give instructions on how to deal with aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I like you." The Doctor said.

"And I like you."

They ran through the halls towards the cabinet room with the aliens right behind them. When they got to the room Kyleigh saw the Doctor take something out of his pocket and pointed it at the locked door.

"What's that?" She asked.

"It's a sonic screwdriver."

The door unlocked and they all went in with the aliens right behind them. The Doctor picked up a bottle of brandy and pointed his sonic screwdriver at it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up."

The aliens hesitated.

"Right. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens." Harriet said.

"I got that, thank you."

"Who are you, if not human?" One of the Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked.

"He's not human?" Rose answered.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor said. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered you're way to the top of government. What for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this godforsaken rock?" A Slitheen asked.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"

"Slitheen is not our race. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen at your service."

"That must be a pain to write out in school." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor gave her a look then turned back to the Slitheen. "So, you're a family.

"It's a family business." The Slitheen said.

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a godforsaken rock?"

"I'm sorry…your device will triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up."

"Well nice try. Harriet, have a drink. You made need one."

"You pass it to your left first." Harriet said.

"Sorry." He hands the brandy to Rose who thanks him.

"So, how are we going to get out of this?" Kyleigh asked. She knew they couldn't run passed the Slitheen.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. 2,000 years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room. If the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." The Doctor pressed a switch near the door and metal shutters close down on the windows and door. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor paused as he glanced around, and then looked back at the others. "Ah."

* * *

**Lady Atrimes Blaine: I posted this one just for you. I agree with you about the companions slapping the Doctor. Always fun to watch that. You might get your wish eventually. ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, I am ahead on my words for NaNoWriMo so I figured to reward myself and my lovely readers for being patient, I will update this story. This one is the longest I've written but I really wanted to finish up Downing Street. Hope you all enjoy! ^_^**

* * *

Harold watched as Kyleigh was escorted inside one of the police cars along with Rose and the Doctor. He was hoping they would let his niece go, but since she was with that man they had taken her. How was he going to explain this to Carol?

"I hope she will be all right." Jackie said.

"She will. They both will." Harold sighed. "I better get home and explain this to Carol."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks. I'm going to need it."

He and his wife were not ones to believe in aliens. Even now he thought this whole thing was just a hoax. Though, there was a tiny voice saying that it was all real and happening. He couldn't see his conversation with Carol going very well.

When he got home he wasn't surprised to see Carol greet him at the door. She gave him a quick hug and then noticed something wasn't right.

"Where's Kyleigh?"

"Um, perhaps we should sit down."

The two of them sat on the couch but Harold still did not speak. He was trying to get his thoughts together which was not easy after everything he had seen.

"Well? Where is she?"

Harold sighed. No better way to tell her then to just get it over with. "She was taken to Downing Street I think."

"You think? Why is she there?"

"She got caught up in the middle of what is happening."

"With the fake aliens?"

Harold nodded.

"Why did you let her go? Those people could be dangerous."

"It's not like I had much of a choice. The cops and soldiers came and wouldn't let me or Jackie get near Kyleigh and Rose."

"So, Rose is really back then? I heard the message you and Kyleigh left but I didn't believe it."

"Yeah, Rose is really back."

"Where has she been?"

"Travelling."

"And she couldn't bother to pick up the phone?"

Harold tried to calm down his wife, but it was hard when he couldn't give her many answers and the ones he did give her weren't much help. Now all they could do was wait and hope Kyleigh would be all right.

* * *

The Doctor saw the body of Indra and started dragging him into the cupboard. "What was his name?"

"I don't know." Harriet said.

"I heard him say his name was Indra." Kyleigh said. She felt guilt that he had died. Maybe if she wasn't frozen in horror by what was going on she could have done something. There probably wasn't much she could have done, but she could have tried.

"Sorry." The Doctor said as he crossed Indra's arms over his chest. He then stood up and walked back in the room. "Right, what have we got? Anything useful?"

"No. This place is an antique." Rose had been checking around the room, but found nothing.

"So, if the Slitheen can use a person as a suite, why didn't they use the prime minister?" Kyleigh asked.

"He's too slim. Those big, old beasts need to fit inside big humans." The Doctor answered.

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?" Rose asked.

"That's the thing around their necks, a compression field. Shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit in a size smaller."

"Excuse me, people are dead." Harriet said. "This is no time for making jokes."

"Sorry. You get used to this when you're friends with him." Rose pointed to the Doctor.

"Well, that's a strange friendship."

"Harriet Jones. I know that name. You aren't famous or anything, are you?" The Doctor said.

"Hardly."

Kyleigh tuned out as her thoughts went to her aunt and uncle. What had he said about where Kyleigh was? Even if they don't believe in aliens they are probably home worrying where she was and if she was safe. They may not always get along, but her aunt and uncle do care for her. She did dread a little about when this was all over. She wondered what her aunt and uncle will say.

Kyleigh was snapped out of her thoughts when something went off. It sounded like a phone.

"Oh, that's me." Rose said as she took out her phone.

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?" Harriet asked.

"He zapped it. Super phone."

"I want a super phone." Kyleigh said. The Doctor gave her another look. "Sorry."

"It's Mickey."

"Tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Rose showed the Doctor her phone. Mickey had sent a picture of a Slitheen.

Rose called Mickey, asking about what had happened. She wanted to know how her mum was but didn't want Mickey to put her on the phone. Kyleigh smiled a little. Jackie would be asking Rose so many questions.

The Doctor snatched the phone from Rose. "Is that Rickey? Don't talk; just go to your computer. I just may choke on these next words, but Mickey the idiot, I need you."

Rose smiled.

The Doctor plugged Rose's phone into the speakerphone.

"It's asking for a password." Mickey said.

"Buffalo. Two Fs one L. Why did they hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them." Harriet said.

"That lot would have gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen were hiding, and then they put the whole planet on red alert. Why would they do that?" Rose asked.

"Oh, listen to her." Jackie said.

"At least I'm trying."

"Well, I've got a question. Since that man came into our lives I've been attacked in the street, I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter's disappeared of the face of the Earth."

"I told you what happened."

"I'm talking to him. I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but answer me this – is my daughter safe?

"I'm fine."

"Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?"

At that moment, Kyleigh wished her mum was still alive. Maybe if she was her mum would be there with Jackie, asking if her own daughter was safe. What if this was the last day that Kyleigh was alive? Where were her aunt and uncle? No one was worried about if she was safe.

"We're in." Mickey said.

"Right then, on the left, there's an icon, little concentric circles. Click on that." The Doctor said.

"What is it?"

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what its saying. It's on a loop. It's beaming out to space, what for?"

"It's him! It's the Slipeen!" Jackie yelled.

"They've found us." Mickey said.

"Mickey, I need that signal." The Doctor said.

"Forget the signal. Just get out." Rose said.

"We can't. It's by the front door." Mickey said. "Oh, my god. It's unmasking. It's going to kill us."

"Well, get a knife or something." Kyleigh said.

"Right, if we're going to find a way to defeat them we have to figure out what planet they're from." The Doctor said. "So, judging by their face and shape, that narrows it down to 5,000 planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them?"

"They're green." Rose said.

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenaline." Kyleigh said.

"Narrows it down."

"The compression technology.' Harriet said.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine." Rose said.

"Narrows it down."

"Oh, they hunt like it's a ritual." Kyleigh said.

"Wait a minute." Harriet said. "Have you noticed that when they fart, if you pardon the word, it doesn't smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else."

"Bad breath."

"Calcium decay. Now that narrows it down!" The Doctor said. "Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium, creatures made out of living calcium, what else, what else, hyphenated sodium, yes! That narrows it down to one planet! Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

Kyleigh thought about the name of the planet as she tried to say it in her head. No, wrong time for that. Focus. She turned her attention back to what was going on.

"Get in the kitchen." The Doctor said. "Vinegar. You need vinegar."

"Just like Hannibal." Harriet said.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got vinegar."

"How should I know?" Mickey said.

"It's your kitchen."

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf." Kyleigh said.

Jackie must have snatched the phone from Mickey because she had asked what they needed; the Doctor said vinegar. Jackie listed all the things with vinegar such as gherkins, pickled onions, and pickled eggs.

The Doctor glanced at Rose. "And you kiss him?"

There was a few tense seconds, but then they heard a bang. All four of them let out a breath of relief.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving rocks with vinegar." Harriet said.

"Oh, well, there you go then."

They raised their glasses of brandy and then drank. This was turning out to be an interesting day.

"Hey, listen to this." Mickey said.

"Our inspectors have searched the sky and found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds. Our technicians can, baffle, the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations - pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because... from this moment on... it is my solemn duty to inform you... planet Earth is at war."

"He's making it up. There is no threat." The Doctor said.

"That's why they crashed the spaceship into the Thames." Kyleigh said. Everyone turned to her. She didn't like being put on the spot. What if what she said was wrong?

"Why?" The Doctor encouraged.

"Well, the Slitheen want the whole world panicking. When humans panic they do things without thinking everything through. They lash out. If the defense codes are released then the Slitheen go nuclear, right?"

For a moment no one said anything. They kept looking at Kyleigh which made her shift uncomfortably.

The Doctor smiled. "Kyleigh, you're a genius." He then frowned. "But why?"

"Why am I a genius?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "No, why do they want to release the missiles?" He walked over to the door, pushed the button to open the door. "You get the codes and release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You're gonna attack every country on Earth, they fight back, and the whole planet gets nuked."

Margaret walked in front of the Doctor, back in her skin suite. "And we get to sit in the safety of our spaceship. It's parked, not crashed."

"But you'll destroy this beautiful planet. Why?" Harriet asked.

"Profit. That's the signal beaming into space." The Doctor said.

"Sale of the century." Margaret said.

"At the cost of five billion lives? I'll give you a choice, leave this planet or I'll stop you."

The Slitheen laughed. "You?"

"Yes, me." The Doctor pushed the button, closing the door.

They were stuck. There was no way out and they were most likely going to die. Kyleigh sat down in one of the chairs around the table. Why couldn't the people who built this place also have built a tunnel?

"I'm sorry, Ky." Rose said.

Kyleigh turned to her with confusion. "Why are you sorry?"

"I got you into this mess. You should have ran off with Mickey, Then you would be safe."

"And let you have all the fun? No way." Kyleigh smiled at her friend.

"If we could just get out there we could be of more use."

"There's a way out. There's always been a way out." The Doctor said.

Everyone looked at him.

"Then why don't we use it?"

The Doctor walked over to the table and leaned on it. "Because I can't guarantee your daughter's safety."

"Don't you dare." Jackie said.

"If I don't, then everyone dies."

"Do it." Rose said.

The Doctor glanced up at Rose. "You don't even know what it is."

"Doctor please, she's just a kid." Jackie pleaded.

"I could save the world, but lose you."

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor, it's mine." Harriet said.

"Who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded.

"Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North. And I'm the only elected representative in this room. On the behalf of the people I'm commanding you to do it."

"There's one other person I need to hear from first." The Doctor said as he looked over at Kyleigh.

Kyleigh didn't want to die. Part of her wanted to say no…but that would be selfish. She couldn't save herself and condemn others to die. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Do it." She said.

The Doctor grinned.

"So, how do we get out?" Rose asked.

"We don't. We stay here." The Doctor said as he began shifting through the emergency protocols.

As The Doctor was talking to Mickey about what to do, Kyleigh thought about her aunt and uncle. They have no idea what's about to happen. They don't know how much danger she's in.

"All right, Mickey the idiot, the world's in your hands." The Doctor said. "Fire."

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked about the steel.

"Not solid enough."

"Right, I'm making a decision. I'm not gonna die." Rose said as she made her way to the cupboard. "It's like they say about earthquakes, you can ride them out in the door frame."

"You think that will work?" Kyleigh asked.

"It's better than just standing here."

Kyleigh and Harriet helped Rose clear out the cupboard so the four of them could fit in there. The Doctor unplugged Rose's phone from the speaker then got in the cupboard with the others. The four of them huddled in a corner, all holding hands.

"Very nice to meet you all." Harriet said.

Kyleigh closed her eyes, thinking these will be her last moments alive. She had to admit though, she wouldn't change it.

The missile hit, sending them all tumbling in the cupboard. _Now I know what clothes in the dryer feel like. _Kyleigh thought.

The shaking soon stopped. Kyleigh opened her eyes, letting out a relief sigh when she realized she was still alive. She couldn't help it as she let out a laugh.

"Are you all right?" Harriet asked.

"Sorry. I just didn't think we would survive."

The four of them made their way out of the wreckage that was once Downing Street.

"Well, looks like there's a lot of cleaning up to do." Harriet said. "Oh my, we don't even have a prime minister."

"Maybe you should have a go." The Doctor said.

"Me? I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for ya." Rose said.

"Me too." Kyleigh said.

"I'd better go see if I can help." Harriet said. She then made her way over the soldiers.

"Harriet Jones. I thought I knew that name." The Doctor said. "Future prime minister. Elected for three terms. The architect of Britain's golden age."

"I should probably go." Kyleigh said. "I'm sure my aunt and uncle are worried. Promise you won't run off without telling me?"

Rose smiled. "I promise."

"Good." Kyleigh started walking, but only took a step when she turned back towards them. "Oh, I forgot." She hit Rose in the arm, not hard though. "That's for breaking your promise last year." She then slapped the Doctor. "And that was for taking Rose away for a year." Kyleigh smiled. "I'll see you both later." She then made her way back to her flat.

The Doctor held his face. "Slapped twice. Are you sure she's not your sister? Sure slaps like your mother."

Rose laughed. "Just a very good friend, but mum has said we act like sisters."

Kyleigh thought back on everything that happened. Sure, she was terrified and for a while she thought she was going to die, but she would do it all again if given the choice.

As soon as Kyleigh stepped foot in her flat, she was greeted by her uncle who gave her a quick hug.

"I was worried about you."

"Kyleigh?" Carol walked in. "Where have you been? Your uncle tells me you went off with a strange man who put you in danger."

"He didn't put me in danger intentionally. Things just…sort of happened."

"Well, now that you're home you can put whatever happened behind you. And your uncle told me Rose is back so you can finally move on with your life. No more excuses."

Yeah, she can move on with her life, but now there was something more she wanted to do. Of course, she would never tell her aunt that she wanted to travel the stars. And besides, she wasn't going to invite herself along with Rose and the Doctor.

Later that day, after Kyleigh took a shower and changed into fresh clothes, she sat in her room. Her aunt kept going on about how stupid it was to go off with a man she didn't even know. Kyleigh had tried to explain what happened at Downing Street, but of course her aunt didn't believe her. Things only got worse when their conversation turned to the missile.

"Did you even think about how that would make us feel?" Carol had asked.

Of course Kyleigh did.

Kyleigh could hear her aunt and uncle talking about what had happened. Her aunt was not happy with her uncle about letting Kyleigh go off to Downing Street. It was even worse that Kyleigh was in Downing Street when the missile hit. And it wasn't her uncle's fault that she got whisked away.

Not being able to listen to their arguing any more, Kyleigh left her flat. They were so busy arguing that they didn't even realize she had left.

As she made her way to Rose's, she heard people talking about everything that had happened. They would probably be talking about it for a few days. She couldn't help but smile to herself, thinking that she was right in the middle of it helping solve the situation.

Kyleigh was about to make her way up the stairs to Rose's flat when she stopped at the sight of the TARDIS. With everything that happened she wasn't able to really get a good look at it. Maybe the Doctor was in there and would let her take another look. Kyleigh shrugged. It was worth a try.

Kyleigh held her breath as she knocked on the doors.

It wasn't long before the Doctor opened the door with a confused expression. When he saw Kyleigh his expression became curious.

"Rose isn't here. She's still in her flat."

"I actually wanted to talk to you first."

"Why?"

"Well, I just wanted to know if I could look inside your TARDIS. Last night I didn't really get the chance to admire it."

The Doctor just looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "Yeah, all right." He moved back inside the TARDIS and Kyleigh followed.

Stepping inside for the second time still amazed Kyleigh. As she walked around she took everything in with the Doctor watching her. Her eyes soon landed on a doorway leading out of the main room.

"What's through there?" Kyleigh asked as she pointed.

"More rooms."

"Really? How big is your ship?"

"Very big. There are some rooms that even I don't know about yet."

Kyleigh made her way to the doorway and looked at the hallway. It seemed like it went on for miles. How is that possible?

"Kyleigh?"

Kyleigh turned towards the Doctor. "Hmm?"

"I just wanted to say that you were great. The way you remained calm surprised me. Not many people can remain calm in a situation like that."

"Trust me, I was plenty scared."

"You didn't show it. So...how about a thank gift?"

"What kind of gift?"

"Come with us."

"What?" Kyleigh wasn't sure she heard right.

"Come with me and Rose and travel in time and space."

"You wouldn't mind if I tagged along?"

"I wouldn't be offering if I did. So, what do you say?"

"Can I ask you something first?"

"Sure."

"What kind of alien are you? Or is that too personal. Or is that rude? I don't want to be rude. Sorry if it was. I've never met an alien before so I don't know what I should ask or what I shouldn't…" Kyleigh trailed off when she saw the Doctor giving her a look. "Sorry, I'm babbling."

The Doctor just smiled. "That's all right. Ask all the questions you want. And I'm a Time Lord."

"Time Lord? I guess that makes sense with you being able to travel in time and all." Kyleigh wanted to ask more questions but she resisted the urge. She didn't want to bombard him with questions and then have him change his mind about her coming along.

"You didn't answer my question. Did you want to come with us?"

Kyleigh smiled. "Of course I'll come with you. I'll just run home and tell my aunt and uncle and grab some clothes." Kyleigh ran out of the TARDIS, but came running back in a few seconds later. "Don't tell Rose I'm coming. I want to see her face when I surprise her."

"My lips are sealed."

Kyleigh ran back out of the TARDIS and all the way back to her flat. She didn't even stop when her aunt called her, she just ran straight for her room. She grabbed her duffel bag from her closet and started throwing clothes and other things she may need in her bag.

"Kyleigh, what are you doing?" Carol asked.

"I'm going travelling." Kyleigh didn't dare look at her aunt. She was afraid to see the look on her face.

"What do you mean travelling? Travelling with Rose and that Doctor person your uncle told me about."

"Yep."

"I won't allow it."

Kyleigh finally turned to face her aunt. "You can't stop me. I'm an adult and can decide what I do on my own. I don't need your permission." Kyleigh went back to packing her stuff.

"As long as you live under my roof then you do as I saw."

Kyleigh put the last of her things in her bag, zipped it up, and turned to her aunt. "Then I guess I don't live here anymore."

With that, Kyleigh grabbed her bag, pushed passed her aunt and made for the front door. Her hand was on the door knob when her uncle called her. She silently cursed.

"Where are you going?"

She glanced at him. "I'm going with Rose and the Doctor. There's no point in trying to talk me out of it so don't even try."

"It's dangerous with that man."

"But this is the chance of a lifetime. I can't pass it up."

Kyleigh looked behind Harold and saw her aunt giving her a hard look.

"Well, then, I better see you off."

"What?" Kyleigh looked back at him, not expecting that.

"Harold you can't be serious." Carol said.

"I am. You know once Kyleigh's mind is made up there's no changing it."

Kyleigh smiled. "Thank you."

Carol stormed off to her room. Harold grabbed his car keys, and then he and Kyleigh made their way back over to the Powell estate. When they got there Kyleigh went straight for the TARDIS. Her eyes landed on a boy who was washing the side of the TARDIS. She knocked on the door and it wasn't long that the Doctor answered.

"You know, you don't have to knock on the door every time." He said.

"I'll remember that for next time. What's with the boy? No TARDIS washes?"

"He wrote on my ship." The Doctor looked over at the boy and saw he had finished washing the words away. "Good. Now off you pop." The boy then grabbed his bucket and took off.

Kyleigh went and put her bag inside then went over to the Doctor who was talking with Mickey. Kyleigh didn't even notice him when she first came up.

"So, you're going with him, are you?" Mickey asked. "I saw you bring your bag."

"Yeah, I am."

"It's going to be dangerous."

"Danger? I laugh in the face of danger."

"No more Lion King for you. Look after Rose."

"Of course I will."

Kyleigh glanced over and saw Rose and Jackie walking towards them. Jackie was trying to convince Rose not to go.

"It's not safe." Jackie said.

"Mum, if you saw it out there you would never want to stay home." She then turned and started talking to Mickey.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Harold asked Kyleigh.

"Yes. You know I've always had a fascination with space and now I can actually get out there."

Harold nodded. "All right." He turned to the Doctor. "You will keep her safe?

"Of course I will." The Doctor said.

"What's he mean?" Rose asked, looking over at Kyleigh.

Kyleigh smiled. "Guess who will be coming with you?"

Rose pointed to Kyleigh. "You? You're coming with us?"

Kyleigh frowned. "Unless you don't want me to go."

Rose smiled. "Of course I do. This will be great."

Kyleigh smiled.

"How did you convince him?" Rose asked.

"I didn't. He asked me."

Rose looked at the Doctor.

"What? After helping us and putting up with the Slitheen I think she deserves it." The Doctor said.

"You still can't promise me, Doctor." Jackie said. "You can't promise me that she'll be safe. And now Kyleigh's going with you. What if something happens to you and they're stuck on some moon? How long do I wait then?"

The Doctor just stood there, not having an answer.

"Mum, you're forgetting it's a time machine." Rose said. "We could be travelling around suns, and faraway planets, and going to the edge of the universe and by the time we get back ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds." Rose then hugged her mum.

Kyleigh turned to her uncle. "What she said."

Harold gave her a small smile. "Be safe and have fun."

"I plan to." She gave him a quick hug then followed Rose and the Doctor into the TARDIS. Before she closed the door she looked back. "I'm going to go on an adventure of a lifetime." She gave one last wave and then shut the door.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. And I put that slap in just for you. ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! Did you miss me? I finished my 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo. Yah me! And I went to comic con and saw Karen Gillan. That was awesome. Anyways, on to the story. ^_^**

* * *

Kyleigh turned to the other two with a big smile on her face "I can't believe I'm doing this. This is going to be so much fun."

Rose laughed. "Well, first we should get you a room. Come on, I'll show you around."

Kyleigh was bouncing with excitement as she and Rose walked through the TARDIS. It wasn't long before she found her room. As soon as Kyleigh had opened the door she knew it was her room. She couldn't explain how she knew, she just did. It was just the feeling she had. It had everything a bedroom need: a bed, a dresser, a nightstand. It also had a bathroom connected to it. The walls were purple which Kyleigh found strange.

Kyleigh turned to Rose. "The walls are purple."

"You're observant." Rose said.

"I just find it interesting that purple is my favorite color and this room...it just feels like my room."

Rose nodded. "I felt the same way when I found my room. The Doctor says the TARDIS is alive."

"It's alive?"

"She." Kyleigh and Rose turned to see the Doctor leaning against the door frame. "And yes, she is alive."

"So cool."

"You think so?"

Kyleigh nodded. "Oh, yes."

At that moment, Kyleigh's stomach growled. It was then she realized she hadn't had much to eat since yesterday.

"Guess it's time for a trip to the kitchen."

The three of them made their way to the kitchen. Kyleigh was still looking around with wonderment. It was definitely bigger on the inside. She still wondered how he got the outside around the inside, but maybe that is one of the mysteries of life. There were so many doors that she just wanted to open them all and see where they went.

"So, what shall we have?" Rose asked once they got into the kitchen. She looked at Kyleigh. "You could make your delicious brownies."

"Maybe another time." Kyleigh said as she sat down at the table. "I'm a guest and I think it's only fair that someone else cooks."

"Well, I'm not cooking."

Both girls turned to look at the Doctor.

"What?" He asked. After a few seconds it dawned on him. "Oh."

Rose and Kyleigh sat at the table as they watched the Doctor cook…or at least attempt to cook. Rose and Kyleigh decided they wanted pancakes. The Doctor had made a comment that pancakes was a breakfast food and not suitable for dinner. Kyleigh asked him to point out where it states pancakes are just for breakfast. The Doctor didn't argue any further as he set to work.

"I didn't know we would be having dinner and a show." Kyleigh said as the Doctor poured the pancake mix into a bowl. He put a little too much in and some of the mix spilled over the side of the bowl.

He then added the water, and began to mix it together. He mixed a little too fast, sending pancake batter not only on himself but also on the counter and floor. Kyleigh and Rose were laughing.

"I would like to see you mix the batter with just the right speed." The Doctor said, glancing behind him at the two friends.

"But this is so much more fun." Rose said.

Once the batter was mixed all the way, the Doctor scooped some batter in a cup then poured it in the hot pan. Kyleigh leaned a little so she could see if the Doctor would be able to flip the pancake. As he flipped the pancake he let out an, "Oops."

"Did the batter go everywhere?" Kyleigh asked.

"Uh, nope." The Doctor answered, though it didn't sound convincing.

Once the pancake was done, the Doctor flipped it onto a plate. Kyleigh stood up so she could see it better.

"It doesn't really look like a circle."

The Doctor gave her a look. "Do you want to do this?"

Kyleigh sat back down. "Nope. You're doing fine."

The Doctor made a few more pancakes and those actually turned out round. He was working on the last one when he turned around.

"Interesting thing about pancakes, the Greeks called them teganites or tagenias deriving from the word tagenon meaning frying pan. They were made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk."

"Uh, Doctor?" Kyleigh said, but was ignored.

"The word pancake didn't come around until the 15th century. The Dutch were the first to come up with the idea of putting flour based batter on a hot griddle. There's always a big debate whether pancakes are better than waffles, but I-"

"Doctor!" Kyleigh and Rose said.

"What?"

Rose pointed behind him. "Your pancake is burning."

The Doctor turned around and saw that his pancake was indeed burning. He quickly took the pan off the stove and put it in the sink, running the water over it for a few seconds. He then turned back towards the other two.

"Well, there's still plenty I made perfectly."

"Does he always get like that?" Kyleigh asked Rose.

"Oh, yes. He can go on about all the things he knows."

"Some of it is quite useful." The Doctor said.

The three of them grabbed their own plates of pancakes, sat at the table and started eating.

"Oh, these are delicious." Kyleigh said.

"Did you ever doubt my cooking skills?" The Doctor said.

"Maybe just a little."

It wasn't long until the pancakes were all devoured. The three of them sat talking for a while. Kyleigh tried to hide a yawn.

"I just realized you two haven't had much sleep." The Doctor said. "You guys should get some rest."

"What about you?" Kyleigh asked.

"I don't need as much sleep as you humans."

"Should I be offended on how you said, "You humans"?"

"Don't mind him." Rose said.

As Kyleigh followed Rose back to her room Kyleigh realized just how tired she was. With everything that was going on she didn't have time to feel tired. Now that things were winding down she definitely felt exhausted.

"Have a good sleep." Rose said. She then went into her room while Kyleigh went to hers.

Kyleigh was still amazed that she had her own room on the TARDIS. It was all surreal. Part of her was afraid that she would wake up and she would be back to her boring, normal life.

As she changed in her pajamas and lied in bed, her thoughts went to her aunt and uncle. Her aunt was not pleased with her for going. Her expression was so angry and Kyleigh couldn't understand why. Travelling through space and time, not everyone got that chance. Before now Kyleigh didn't even think it possible really.

What was she going to do when she got back? She wasn't sure how long she would be travelling with the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor said she was coming along as a way to say thank you so maybe she would only be around for one trip. What was she going to do then? Her aunt had made it clear that she wasn't allowed back home.

Maybe her uncle would talk to Aunt Carol. He wouldn't kick Kyleigh out. He seemed ok with her leaving so maybe he can convince her aunt to let her come back to stay. But what if he couldn't? Where was she going to live?

Kyleigh shook her head. No use thinking about that now. Worry about where you're going to live when you get back. With that thought she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kyleigh woke with a feeling that something was wrong. The bed she was lying in didn't feel like her own. When she opened her eyes everything looked wrong. This certainly wasn't her room. Was she kidnapped? Did someone drug her and kidnap her? Why would they do that?

As she became more awake she sat up. Everything that had happened came rushing back to her. Rose came back, the Doctor, being escorted to Downing Street, the Slitheen. The Doctor asking if she wanted to travel with them. She said yes and she was on the TARDIS. Kyleigh relaxed when she realized where she was and that she had not been kidnapped.

Kyleigh changed into clean clothes, put her hair up in a messy bun, and then made her way out to the console room. Rose and the Doctor were already in there.

"Ah, she finally wakes." The Doctor said when he saw Kyleigh.

"Sorry. I didn't realize how tired I was."

"It's fine." Rose said.

"So, where are we off to?" Kyleigh could hardly contain her excitement as she bounced up and down.

"Well, since you're the guest you can decide." The Doctor said. "Where would you like to go? Anywhere in the universe."

"I want to go to the future."

"All right." The Doctor started hitting buttons and throwing switches. "Into the future. Oh, wait a minute." His attention was on the computer screen.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Someone is sending out a distress signal. We better check it out." The Doctor was again messing the switches. They soon landed, causing Kyleigh to lose her balance and fall to the floor.

"Rough landing." She said.

"You get used to it." Rose said as she helped up her friend.

Kyleigh followed Rose and the Doctor out of the TARDIS; she paused as she glanced around. They had moved. They had actually moved. Kyleigh didn't doubt that the TARDIS was indeed a spaceship and could travel through space, but seeing that it could actually do that was different.

"This is so cool." She said as she continued to look around. Granted, she couldn't see much since the lights were off but she was still amazed that they had moved.

"So, where are we?" Rose asked.

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground." The Doctor answered.

"And when are we?"

"2012."

Kyleigh frowned. "When I said I wanted to go to the future I was thinking further into the future than six years."

The Doctor gave her a look. "We'll go more into the future once I figure out who is sending us this distress signal." He then flips a switch and lights flood the room.

"Blimey! It's a great big museum." Rose said.

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the mileometer from the Roswell spaceship."

The three of them walked around as they passed the exhibits. Kyleigh stopped when something caught her eye.

"That's a Slitheen arm. Looks like it's been stuffed. Why would you want to keep something like that?"

"You would be surprised what humans want to keep. Oh, look at you." The Doctor said as he approached a glass casing with a metal head in it.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"An old friend of mine…well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."

"Is that where the signal is coming from?"

"Nah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." He placed the tips of his fingers on the glass, which proved to be a mistake. And alarm immediately went off and it wasn't long before the three of them were surrounded by soldiers with guns pointed at them.

"Again with the guns?" Kyleigh mumbled.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you exhibit A." Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"We mean you no harm." The Doctor said.

"All right you three, follow us." One of the soldiers said.

As Kyleigh followed them she was hoping this wasn't going to become a habit, step out of the TARDIS and being surrounded by soldiers with guns pointed at her. As they were led to an office they were joined by a woman who introduced herself as Goddard.

They all then walked into the office. The man sitting behind the desk was, Kyleigh assumed, the boss. He held something in his hands that Kyleigh had no idea what it was.

"I wouldn't hold it like that." The Doctor said.

"Shut it." Goddard said.

"Really, though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?" The young man asked.

"No, it just looks silly."

Kyleigh hid a smile behind her hand. Even though they were probably in danger and just might get shot at the Doctor was making jokes.

The Doctor held out his hands for the artifact. The soldiers ready their guns, but the boss held up his hand. He then handed the object to the Doctor.

"You just need to be…" He ran his fingers gently over the object and it played a note. "delicate."

"It's a musical instrument." The boss said. He held out his hands and the Doctor gave it back to him. The boss then tried to play it but it didn't sound as nice as when the Doctor did it.

"I did say delicate." The Doctor said.

The boss tried again and this time it sounded much better than when he tried to first time.

"Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you." The boss then tossed the instrument aside where it landed on the floor.

"Hey, you should be more careful with that." Kyleigh said.

The boss looked at her. "Oh, she's English." He looked at the younger boy. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy, got you a girlfriend."

"I'm not looking for a boyfriend, thank you."

The boss ignored her as he looked back at the Doctor. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. And you are?"

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in 53 floors down with your little cat burglar accomplices?" He looked over at Rose. "Quite the collector yourself. She's pretty."

"She's going to smack you if you keep calling her a 'she.'"

"And you're English too. Here's a girlfriend for you." He said back to the younger boy.

Kyleigh pursed her lips. What was it with this guy trying to play cupid?

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten." The younger boy said. "And I'm Adam."

"So, you're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum." The Doctor said. "Anything you don't understand you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten said.

"I don't need to make claims; I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you right next to the cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me."

"The cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You wanna see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." Rose said; Kyleigh nodded.

"Goddard, inform the cage. We're heading down." Van Statten said to the woman. He then looked over at Adam. "You, English. Look after the girls. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do."

"You make it sound like we snog each person we pass." Kyleigh said.

"You sure do have a mouth on you."

Kyleigh was about to open her mouth to reply, but the Doctor spoke up, "All right, why don't you show me now." The Doctor then followed Van Statten and Goddard out.

"Would you like to see my workshop?" Adam asked.

"All right." Rose answered.

Kyleigh and Rose followed Adam to his workshop.

Kyleigh didn't pay any attention to what Rose and Adam were saying as she glanced around at the different objects. It only took her a few minutes to leave the room to go exploring. She didn't want to be around Adam making gooey eyes at Rose.

Maybe she could find her way to the place the Doctor went to. She was curious on what Van Statten was keeping. It wasn't right keeping a creature locked up. When she was younger she even wanted to free all the animals at the zoo. Why did people have to lock up anything different than them? If people want to learn about aliens then just ask them questions. Don't lock them up.

Kyleigh stopped as she realized she had no idea where she was. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention. Well, she's bound to find someone sooner or later so she started walking again.

She only took a few steps when she heard a scream and someone say, "You have to release me, Van Statten. If you don't everyone in this place will die. Everyone on the planet."

Wait, she knew that voice. It was the Doctor and it sounds like he is in pain. Kyleigh took off running in the direction she heard the scream. She turned into a room and came to a halt when she saw what was going on. The Doctor was strapped down on a vertical table while Van Statten was behind a machine. She assumed the machine was the cause of the Doctor's pain. She was proven right when Van Statten pushed a button and it shot some sort of energy beam at the Doctor.

"Hey, you can't do that." Kyleigh said as she tried to pull Van Statten away from the machine.

Van Statten pushed her away, causing her to fall to the ground. He looked down at her. "Are you an alien as well?"

"You leave her alone." The Doctor said.

Van Statten grabbed Kyleigh by the arm and pulled her up. "Are you an alien?"

"No." Kyleigh said as she struggled to get out of his grip. "Now let me and the Doctor go."

Van Statten released her. She rubbed her arm where he held her. What was she going to do? She had no idea how to get the Doctor free. Van Statten sure wasn't going to release him any time soon. Maybe if she could find something she could use as a weapon and just knock him over the head. Of course, there was also the problem of the two soldiers that stood by the Doctor. They just might shoot her if she hit Van Statten, but she had to do something.

Before she had time to think her plan through, a voice came on over the intercom. "Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill."

"Release me if you want to live." The Doctor said.

Van Statten did as the Doctor said and released him. The Doctor put on his shirt and jacket and then they all ran back to Van Statten's office.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: Glad you liked the slap. I was laughing as I wrote that part. **


	10. Chapter 10

"What's going on? What is in the cage?" Kyleigh asked.

"It's a Dalek." The Doctor answered.

"What's a Dalek?"

"Something not good."

They soon arrived back in Van Statten's office. The Doctor looked at the monitor where there was a communication link to the lobby.

"You've got to keep it in that cell." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, it's all my fault. I'm sorry." Rose said.

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations." One of men said from Rose's side.

"The Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh watched the screen as the doors opened and the Dalek made its way out. The soldiers started shooting at it.

"Don't shoot it. I want it unharmed." Van Statten said.

"That thing is going to kill us all and you're worried about not harming it." Kyleigh shouted.

"Rose, get out of there." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh was filled with panic as she saw the bullets weren't even affecting the Dalek. How were they going to stop it? The Dalek approached the screen and smashed it. Kyleigh jumped back a little. She had seen Rose run out of the room, but she was still worried.

"We're losing power." Goddard said. "It's draining the base. Oh, my God. It's raiding entire power supplies from all of Utah."

"It's downloading." The Doctor said.

"Downloading what?" Kyleigh asked.

"Sir, the entire west coast has gone down." Goddard said.

"It's not just energy. That Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything." The Doctor said.

"That is definitely not good." Kyleigh said.

"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!"

"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage immediately." Goddard said.

"Tell them to stop shooting at it." Van Statten said.

"It's killing them!"

"They're dispensable. That Dalek is unique. I don't want a scratch on its body work? Do you hear me?" Van Statten said into the com.

Kyleigh clenched her fist. She couldn't believe this guy. There were people's lives at stake, people dying and Van Statten doesn't want to scratch it. Kyleigh unclenched her fist as the shooting stopped. She knew they were all dead she just hoped Rose wasn't among them.

Goddard showed the Doctor a map of the base on the computer screen. "That's us right below the surface. That's the cage, and that's the Dalek." She pointed to a blue light moving along the corridor.

"This museum of yours, have you got any alien weapons?" The Doctor asked.

"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them."

"We've got to keep that thing alive." Van Statten said. "We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there."

Kyleigh had had enough of this guy. She turned and faced him with anger. "My friend is still down there!"

The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry; we aren't leaving her down there." He turned his attention to Van Statten. "Have you got that? I won't let that happen."

Van Statten stood up straight and glared at Kyleigh. "You better keep your woman in line, Doctor."

Kyleigh said, "I am not his woman." At the same time the Doctor said, "She's not mine to control."

The Doctor then turned back to the computer screen. "It's got to go through this area. What's that?" The Doctor pointed to a place on the map.

"Weapons testing." Goddard answered.

"Give guns to lawyers, technicians, anyone. Everyone. Only then do you have a chance of killing it."

Goddard nodded then stood up and left the room. The Doctor sat at the computer.

"I thought you were the great expert, Doctor." Van Statten said. "If you're so impressive why don't you just reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate; there must be something it needs."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Kyleigh asked.

"What's the nearest town?" The Doctor asked.

"Salt Lake city." Van Satten answered.

"Population?"

"One million."

"All dead. If the Dalek gets out, it will murder every living creature. That's all it needs."

"But why would it do that?" Van Statten asked angrily.

"Because it honestly believes they should die. Human beings are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate racial cleansing and you, Van Statten, you've let it loose!" The Doctor then spoke into the intercom. "The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. Bullets are melting before they even hit home but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, and the eyepiece. That's the weak spot."

"Thank you, Doctor, but I think I know how to fight one single robot." One of the soldiers said.

Shooting was heard as Kyleigh let out an annoyed sigh. Why weren't they listening?

"We've got vision." Goddard said.

The Doctor stood up and looked at the monitor. "It wants us to see."

The Dalek levitated off the ground and made the sprinklers go off. It then shot a beam at the ground, electrocuting everyone. Kyleigh turned around, not wanting to see anymore.

"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy." Van Statten said. "Maybe we should consider abandoning this place."

"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out." Goddard said.

"You said you could seal the fault." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh looked at him with shock. He wouldn't.

"It was designed to be a bunker. In the event of nuclear war, steel bunkheads."

"There's not enough power. Those bulkheads are massive." Goddard said.

"We've got emergency power. We can re-route that to the bulkhead doors."

"We'd have to bypass the security codes. That would take a genius."

"Good thing you've got me." Van Statten said.

"You want to help?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't want to die, Doctor, simple as that. No one knows this software better than I do."

"You can't possibly be saying you're going to close the doors." Kyleigh said to the Doctor. "Rose is still down there!"

"I know, but if I don't do something then millions of people are going to die."

Kyleigh could see by his eyes that he didn't want to close the doors, but that doesn't mean she had to be nice to him about it.

"Sir?" Goddard said. Everyone turned towards the screen.

"I shall speak to the Doctor." The Dalek said.

"You're gonna get rusty." The Doctor said.

"I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveler regenerated me."

"What's your next trick?"

"I have been searching for the Daleks."

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet. What did you find?"

"I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes. There was nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?"

"You're just a soldier without commands."

"Then I shall follow my primary order, the Dalek instinct to destroy. To conquer!"

"What for? It's all gone. Everything you stood for, everything you were."

"Then what should I do?"

"All right, you want orders? Follow this one: kill yourself."

"The Daleks must survive."

"The Daleks have failed. Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct? Rid the universe of your filth. Why don't you just die?"

Kyleigh watched the Doctor. She had never seen the Doctor like this, not when they were dealing with the Slitheen. Of course, she hadn't known him that long but still. He was so angry. Where had all that anger come from?

"You would make a good Dalek." The screen then went blank.

"Seal the vaults."

Kyleigh closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Rose will be fine. She had been fine throughout the last year. She will be fine this time. Kyleigh had to keep reminding herself that the Doctor had to seal the doors to protect everyone. It wasn't just their lives on the line. It was everyone on the planet.

"Kyleigh, let me see you phone." The Doctor said.

Without hesitation, Kyleigh handed him her phone. He dialed Rose.

"Where are you?" The Doctor asked once Rose picked up. As he was talking to Rose, he was working on the computer. "You've got to keep moving. The vault is being sealed off, bulkhead level 46." Kyleigh looked over at him and saw the pain in his eyes. "I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run."

"Done it. We've got power to the bulkheads." Van Statten said.

"The Dalek's right behind them." Goddard said.

Kyleigh paced the room, not being able to stand still as she waited for Rose to come back.

"Doctor, I can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing." Van Statten said. "We have to close the bulkheads."

"But Rose…" Kyleigh said.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said. He hit the enter key.

"The vault is sealed." Van Statten said.

"Rose, where are you? Rose, did you make it?" The Doctor asked.

Kyleigh held her breath as she waited for the answer. She had to have made it. Her heart dropped when she saw the pain across the Doctor's face. No…

The Doctor dropped the phone. "I killed her."

"I don't believe it." Kyleigh said, tears threatening to escape.

"I'm sorry." Van Statten said.

"I said I would protect her. She was only here because of me and you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek in its cell but you stopped me."

"It was the prize of my collection!"

"And that's worth more than people's lives?" Kyleigh asked in anger. Tears were now rolling down her face. "Was it worth those men's death? Was it worth my best friend?"

The Doctor turned towards Kyleigh. "Kyleigh, I am so sorry. I…"

Kyleigh grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand. "It's…it's not your fault. If you didn't close the doors then a lot more people would have died."

At that moment, Adam stepped out of the lift. The Doctor dropped Kyleigh's hand and rounded on Adam with anger.

"You were quick on your feet, leaving Rose behind."

"I'm not the one who sealed the vault." Adam said.

The screen then turned on and Kyleigh smiled at what she saw. Rose was alive. Her smile then vanished. Rose was standing with the Dalek.

"Open the bulkhead door or Rose Tyler dies." The Dalek said.

The Doctor took a few steps closer to the screen. "You're alive."

"Can't get rid of me." Rose said.

"I thought you were dead."

"That makes two of us." Kyleigh said.

"Open the bulkhead." The Dalek said.

"Don't do it." Rose said.

"What use are emotions if you can't save the woman you love."

Kyleigh looked at the Doctor to see his reaction.

The Doctor turned to Van Statten. "I killed her once. I can't do it again." He went to the computer and hit the return key.

"What do we do now?" Kyleigh asked.

"Kill it when it gets here." Adam said.

"All the guns are useless." Goddard said. "And the alien weapons are in the vault."

"Only the cataloged ones."

"Show me." The Doctor said. Kyleigh went to follow but the Doctor stopped her. "Stay here."

"I will not. I'm going to help you."

Not having the time to argue the Doctor agreed. On the way out, Kyleigh picked up her phone. Once they got into Adam's workshop the Doctor went through the weapons.

"Broken." He threw it aside and took out another one. "Broken." He threw that one aside and took out another. "Hairdryer."

"Mr. Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff and when he does he wipes their memories. I kept this stuff in case I needed to fight my way out one day."

"What, you in a fight? I'd like to see that."

"I could, you know."

"What are you going to do? Throw you're a-levels at them?"

"Doctor, what about this one?" Kyleigh held up a big weapon.

"Oh, yes, that will do." The Doctor grabbed it from Kyleigh. "Lock and load."

Kyleigh followed the Doctor. It wasn't long before they spotted Rose with the Dalek.

"Get out of the way, Rose." The Doctor said.

Rose turned around. "No. I won't let you do this."

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me."

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

Kyleigh now understood the Doctor's anger. She would be doing the same thing if the Dalek's destroyed everything she knew and loved.

"Look at it." Rose said as she stood aside. The Dalek's casing was opened and inside was a creature. It was feeling the sunlight from the hole in the ceiling.

"What's it doing?" Kyleigh asked.

"It's the sunlight. That's all it wanted."

"But it can't…" The Doctor said.

"It couldn't kill Van Statten. It couldn't kill me. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What are you changing into?"

The Doctor lowered the gun.

"I couldn't…" Th Doctor kept looking between Rose and the Dalek, and then finally settling on Rose. "Oh, Rose. They're all dead.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked.

"I don't know."

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"Into what?"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?" Rose asked.

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness…Rose…give me orders. Order me to die."

"I can't do that." Rose said.

"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction. Obey! Obey! Obey!"

Rose was silent for a few seconds before she said, "Do it."

"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?"

"Yeah."

"So am I. Exterminate."

Rose ran over to the Doctor and Kyleigh as the Dalek replaced its armor. It levitated into the air and the golden knobs detach themselves to surround the Dalek. The Dalek glowed briefly, and then it exploded, vanishing into nothing. The Doctor just stared at the place the Dalek once was.

The three of them soon made their way back to the TARDIS. Nothing was said until they reached the TARDIS.

The Doctor put his hand on his ship. "A little piece of home. Better than nothing."

"Is that the end of it? The Time War?" Rose asked.

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?"

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too."

"I'd know. In here." He pointed to his head. "Feels like there's no one."

"Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere." Rose smiled.

"And neither am I." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor smiled back. "Yeah.

Adam then came running up to them. "We'd better get out. Van Statten has disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed."

"About time." Rose said.

"I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry then." The Doctor said.

"Adam was saying that all his life he's wanted to see the stars." Rose said.

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then."

Kyleigh let out a small laugh.

"He's all on his own, Doctor. And he did help."

"He left you down there." Kyleigh said.

"So did you and the Doctor."

"I didn't want to. I didn't tell him to press the button."

"All right, you two, settle down." The Doctor said.

"What are you talking about? We have to get out of here." Adam said.

"Rose, he's a bit pretty."

"I hadn't noticed." Rose said.

"Oh, you so noticed." Kyleigh said. "The reason I left you two was because you were both making eyes at each other."

"I was not."

"On your head then." The Doctor then walked into the TARDIS followed by Kyleigh and Rose.

"What are you guys doing?" Adam asked. "She said cement and she wasn't joking. We're going to be sealed in. Doctor? What are you guys doing standing in a box? Rose?" He then entered the TARDIS.

As soon as Adam was in Kyleigh shut the door and the Doctor took off.

"This is…this is…it's bigger on the inside." Adam said as he glanced around.

"You get used to it." Rose said. "Come on, I'll show you around." She and Adam then headed down the corridor. The Doctor followed them with his eyes. When they were out of sight he turned his attention back to the console.

"Are you jealous?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Why would I be jealous?"

Kyleigh shrugged. "Because there is another guy here that Rose will be spending time with."

The Doctor looked back at the console. "I don't care who she spends time with."

"If you say so." Kyleigh took a step to go down the corridor but stopped and looked back at the Doctor. "Doctor, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"What was the Time War?"

At first The Doctor didn't say anything. He finally looked up at her. "It was a war between my people and the Daleks. And as I said, I'm the only one left of my people. The last one."

Kyleigh was unsure of what to say. I'm sorry just didn't seem enough, "Well, like Rose said, you have her. And now you have me. What was the name of your planet?"

Again, the Doctor was silent. He looked lost in his own thoughts so Kyleigh was just going to leave. She stopped when she heard him say, "Gallifrey." Kyleigh looked back at him. "My planet was called Gallifrey."

Kyleigh gave him a small smile. "That's a nice name. Well, I leave you to…whatever it is you do. I'm going to go find something to eat." With that, Kyleigh turned and made her way to the kitchen.

As Kyleigh walked to the kitchen her mind replayed the conversation she had with the Doctor. She couldn't imagine being the last of her kind. It would take someone very brave to keep on living after a war that had killed all of your people. Kyleigh wasn't sure she could do that.

When she got to the kitchen there was no sign of Rose or Adam. _I wonder where they went. _Kyleigh thought. Kyleigh shrugged as she made herself a snack.

She was just finishing the last bits of her food when Rose and Adam walked in.

"Hey Kyleigh." Rose said.

"Hey. Having fun on the tour of the TARDIS?" Kyleigh asked.

"Yeah, it's amazing." Adam said.

"At least someone got a tour. I was just shown to my room and the kitchen."

"Well, if you want a tour I can show you around." Rose said.

"Nah, that's all right. I'll just go exploring on my own. Lot more fun that way."

"How long have you been travelling in here, Kyleigh?" Adam asked.

"Not long. Actually, the trip to the museum was the first one I took."

"So then, all this is still pretty new for you. How are you dealing with it? I mean, this isn't something you see every day."

"No, you definitely don't. I'm loving every minute of it." Kyleigh smiled.

Rose decided to make some food for her and Adam so Kyleigh took that time to go. She went back to her room to take a shower. Once she was all washed up, she changed into new clothes, and braided her hair back. She then flopped on her bed. Drained from the day's events, Kyleigh drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blaine: I agree with you. I love his expression whenever he gets slapped. And that probably won't be the last time Kyleigh slaps him. **


	11. Chapter 11

She was standing in a long corridor. She was alone and she was afraid. It was getting closer so without waiting any longer she began to run. Kyleigh could see the door at the end of the corridor she knew it would lead her to safety, but it seemed no matter how far she ran the door wasn't getting any closer.

"Rose! Doctor!" She received no answer other than her echo. She could feel the tears threatening to escape but she refused to cry. She had to be strong.

Kyleigh turned to see how close it was. She slowed down when she saw nothing. That did nothing to relieve the fear she felt.

"Rose! Please, answer me!" Kyleigh continued running, trying to reach the door that never came any closer.

She soon came to a halt when she saw another opening. The room was dark so she groped the wall to find the light switch. She finally found it and the sight that greeted her was one she never wanted to see. Rose was lying on the ground, her eyes closed.

Kyleigh ran to her best friend and started shaking her. "Rose, wake up. Please, Rose, you can't leave me." The tears Kyleigh had been holding back finally started to fall.

"Don't leave me alone. I can't…I don't like being on my own."

Kyleigh held her friend as she rocked back and forth. She didn't know what to do. Rose was gone and the Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Kyleigh felt so lost.

She was vaguely aware of the thing that entered the room. She didn't flinch when it pointed its weapon at her. She looked over at it with empty eyes.

"Exterminate."

There was a flash as the beam was sent her way.

Kyleigh jumped out of bed, sweat dripping down her face. Her heart pounding as she glanced around the room expecting to see a Dalek waiting for her. As she became more awake she realized she was in the TARDIS and she was safe. She took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself down.

After a few minutes her heart finally slowed down and she was able to relax a little. Dealing with the Dalek definitely wasn't fun but she didn't think it affected her that much to cause nightmares. She knew she was being silly, but she had to make sure Rose was all right.

Kyleigh wasn't surprised when she entered Rose's room and saw her sleeping. With her mind now at ease Kyleigh turned to return to her room. She stopped when Rose said her name.

Kyleigh turned back towards Rose. "Sorry to wake you."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just…" Kyleigh trailed off, not wanting to admit she had a nightmare about the Dalek. Rose and the Doctor might think she can't handle travelling with them.

"Nightmare?"

Kyleigh gave her a look that said how-did-you-know?

"It's that bond we share." Rose smiled. "I've had a few nightmares too."

"Really?"

Rose nodded. She then got out of bed. "I know just what you need."

The two of them then made their way to the kitchen. Once there, Rose made both of them a cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, and cinnamon for Kyleigh.

"Nothing cures nightmares like a good cuppa hot chocolate." Kyleigh said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kyleigh was silent as she stared at her drink. Rose didn't push Kyleigh to talk; she just waited patiently for her friend.

Finally, Kyleigh glanced up. "It was the Dalek. I thought I lost you and I was so scared. I thought I would never see you again."

"Hey, you're never going to lose me. I know things can be a bit scary. Trust me, I've had my own nightmares too."

"And you still travel with him. Even when you come close to dying you still don't want to go home."

"Do you?"

Part of Kyleigh wanted to say yes. Only crazy people would put their lives in danger every day and still continue on when they come close to dying. Of course, what was the alternative? Go home and live a normal life?

Kyleigh smiled. "No way."

Rose smiled back. "That's good."

"You two are going to need someone to save you when you both end up in trouble."

"And if you get in trouble then I'll be there to save you."

Kyleigh then frowned. "Who's going to save us if we all get in trouble?"

"That's when we improvise."

"You mean we don't do that all ready?"

The two of them continued talking as they drank their hot chocolate. Kyleigh felt more relaxed now. After they finished their hot chocolate and ate a snack Kyleigh followed Rose to the library.

It was the first time Kyleigh had been in the library and she was amazed at how big it was. She was beginning to think she needed a map to get around the TARDIS. What caught Kyleigh's attention the most was the television and shelves of movies.

"The Doctor has a telly in the TARDIS and movies?"

"Don't sound so surprised."

"It's just I didn't take him for sitting down and watching movies."

"Well, he is full of surprises. What are you in the mood for?"

"I think we need some comedy."

They glanced through the movies and it wasn't long before Kyleigh picked up a movie and held it up for Rose to see. "The Princess Bride?"

"Sounds good."

Kyleigh put the movie in, then sat on the couch with Rose. It seemed liked forever since the last time she spent time with Rose and they just watched a movie. She had missed so much in the year that Rose was gone and she was happy that Rose was finally back. Kyleigh could never imagine what life would be like without her friend who acted so much like a sister.


	12. Chapter 12

Kyleigh could hardly contain her excitement as the Doctor sent them off to their next destination. Adam still wasn't sure of what to make of everything. He stood quietly as he watched the excitement of the others.

Once the Doctor landed, Kyleigh was the first out the doors. "Looks like she's in a rush." The Doctor said. He and Rose followed her out.

Kyleigh was amazed at what she saw. The place was huge. It looked like they were on a spaceship.

"So, it's 200,000, it's a spaceship…no, wait a minute, space station, and go try that gate over there. Off you go."

"200,000?" Kyleigh said.

"That far enough into the future for you?"

Kyleigh smiled. "This is more like it."

Rose noticed Adam was not with them so she poked her head in the TARDIS. "Adam? Out you come."

Adam finally walked out of the TARDIS. "Oh, my God. Where are we?"

"Good question. Let's see…so, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000."

Kyleigh raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you listen…engines. We're on some sort of space station. It's a bit warm in here. They could turn down the heating. Tell you what, let's try that gate."

Rose and Adam walked off.

"Is she trying to impress him?" Kyleigh asked.

"Seems to be working." The Doctor said.

"And you're jealous." Kyleigh said in a sing-song voice.

"I am not."

"Sure. You keep telling yourself that."

Kyleigh and the Doctor caught up to Rose and Adam. The four of them went into the room beyond the gate. It appeared to be an observation deck since there was a big window looking out to the universe. Kyleigh ran over to look out. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"Oh wow. This is amazing. This is unbelievable. That's the Earth. That's actually the Earth. I'm on a space station looking at the Earth. From space. Ha."

The Doctor smiled at her excitement.

Adam was a little hesitant to come close to the window, but he did by holding onto the railings for support.

"The fourth great and bountiful human empire." The Doctor said "Planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species with mankind right in the middle of it."

As Kyleigh was admiring the view she heard a thud. She glanced back to see that Adam had fainted. Kyleigh turned back to looking out the window.

"He's your boyfriend." The Doctor said.

"Not anymore." Rose replied.

"With a view like this he faints." Kyleigh said.

"Some people can take, and some people can't." The Doctor said.

Once Adam was conscious again, the four of them set off to explore the space station.

"You're gonna like this fantastic period of history." The Doctor said. "The human race at its most intelligent – culture, art, politics. This era has fine food, good manners…"

As if to contradict what the Doctor was explaining, a man pushed passed them. "Out of the way."

"That didn't seem like good manners." Kyleigh said.

The place around them suddenly came to life as food stalls are set up all around them and people bustled about to line up. Kyleigh glanced around at the sudden change.

Rose took a glance at the food behind one of the cases by a stall. "Fine cuisine?"

"My watch must be wrong." The Doctor looked at his watch. "No, it's fine. Weird."

"That's what comes with showing off. You're history's not as good as you thought it was."

"My history's perfect."

"Are you sure we aren't in the third great and bountiful human empire?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor gave her a look.

"They're all human." Adam said. "What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?"

"Good question. Actually, that _is _a good question." The Doctor then put his arm around Adam. "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick."

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub." He then turned to the chef in the stall. "Oi, mate, how much is a cronk burger?"

"Two credits twenty." The chef answered. "Now, join the queue."

"We need money." The Doctor walked over to a cash point, took out his sonic screwdriver and sonics the machine. A metal strip fell out.

"I want one." Kyleigh said.

"You can share the money."

Kyleigh rolled her eyes. "I was talking about your sonic screwdriver."

"Sorry, they don't come out of machines." The Doctor then handed the metal strip to Adam. "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets."

"How does it work?" Adam asked.

"Go and find out. Time travelling is like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers."

"Does that happen to you often?" Kyleigh asked.

"Maybe more often than I'll admit. Now, off you go. Go and enjoy your date." The Doctor said the last bit to Rose. He then turned and started walking while Rose and Adam went off in the opposite direction.

While Rose went off with Adam, and the Doctor went off to do whatever, Kyleigh decided to go explore on her own. First thing was first.

Kyleigh walked up to a group of people who appeared to be not much older than herself. "Excuse me, what is this place?"

The group looked at her like she had grown an extra head. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"How can you be somewhere and not know where you are?"

Kyleigh shrugged. "It happens."

"This is Satellite Five. It broadcasts the news." One of them answered as if they were talking to a small child.

"How many floors are there?"

"500 of course."

"Right, of course."

"I wish I could see floor 500." One of them said.

"That would be amazing." Another said.

"Why? What's on floor 500?" Kyleigh asked.

Again, they looked at her like she was from a different time…which, of course, she was, but that was beside the point.

"The walls are made of gold."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'that's it'? Do you know how many people would give anything to see that?"

"But what do you do up there? There must be something more than the walls just being made of gold."

Before anyone could answer her, alarms went off and everyone immediately cleared out of the area. Kyleigh started running to where she had last seen Rose and the Doctor. She soon spotted the Doctor, Rose, and Adam.

"Where's Kyleigh?" The Doctor asked.

"Right here." Kyleigh skidded to a stop next to them.

"Where've you been?" Rose asked.

"Exploring."

The Doctor introduced them to the two women he had been talking to, Cathica and Suki.

The four of them followed the two women into a room. In the middle there was a chair raised on an octagonal platform. The staff sat around the platform cross-legged. In front of them were pads on which they placed their hands. The Doctor, Rose, Kyleigh, and Adam stood at the side of the room.

Cathica stood in the middle of the platform. "Everyone behave. We have a management inspection." She looked over at the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks."

Cathica turned back to her staff. "Ok, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C' in case you want to write to floor 500 praising me, and please do. Now, please feel free to ask questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and non-biased. That's company policy." Cathica lied down in the chair. "And engage safety."

The staff held their hands out over their hand pads. Cathica clicked her fingers and a door on her forehead opened up, revealing her brain. Adam leaned in for a better look while the Doctor and Kyleigh looked disgusted, Rose alarmed.

Kyleigh rubbed her forehead, wondering why anyone would want something like that.

"And 3…2…and spike." Cathica said.

The contraption over the chair let out a blue light that flowed into her brain.

"Compressed information, streaming into her." The Doctor said. "Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes the software. Her brain is the computer."

"If it all goes through her she must be a genius." Rose said.

"I would think her head would explode with all that information." Kyleigh said.

"It would. She won't remember any." The Doctor walked around the room. "The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."

"So, what about all these people?" Rose asked.

"They've all got tiny chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power."

Rose was asking Adam how he was doing, but Kyleigh wasn't paying attention. Why would people do this to themselves? She knew that technology was growing and new advancements were made every day, but why would someone ever want this?

"This technology is wrong." The Doctor said, snapping Kyleigh out of her thoughts.

"Trouble?" Rose asked.

"Oh yeah."

There was a shuddering sound as Suki twitched. She gasped as she lifted her hand off the pad as though she had been shocked. The other staff members were forced to lift their hands as well. The compressed information stopped streaming into Cathica and the door in her head closed. Suki rubbed her hand, breathing heavily.

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway through. What was that for?" Cathica asked.

"Sorry, must have been a glitch." Suki answered.

"Promotion." A voice over the loudspeaker said as a screen appeared.

"This is it. Come on, say my name." Cathica said.

"Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell."

The words flashed on the projection as Suki's mouth dropped open. Kyleigh glanced at Cathica and saw she did not look happy.

"Please proceed to floor 500."

Suki stood up, staring at the projection. "I don't believe it."

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you." Cathica said.

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance."

"That's not fair. I've been applying to floor 500 for three years."

"What's floor 500?" Rose asked.

"The walls are made of gold." Both the Doctor and Kyleigh said.

The Doctor glanced over at Kyleigh. "How did you know that?"

"I did some investigating."

Suki made her way to the lift as the Doctor, Rose, Kyleigh, and Cathica stand outside of it.

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you." Suki said. She then turned to the Doctor. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything." The Doctor said.

"You're my good luck charm." She opened her arms out for a hug.

"All right. I'll hug anyone." The Doctor gave her a hug.

"Oh my, I have to go. I can't keep them waiting." She picked up her bag and stepped into the lift. "Say bye to Steve for me. Bye." She waved as the doors slid closed.

"Good riddance." Cathica said.

"You say that like you're never gonna see you again." The Doctor said.

"We won't. Once you go to floor 500 you never come back."

"Have you ever been up there?" Kyleigh asked.

"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with a promotion."

"Where's lover boy?" Kyleigh asked Rose when she didn't see Adam around.

"I think all of this was too much for him. I gave him the TARDIS key in case he just wanted to get away."

"You have a key to the TARDIS? Can I get a key to the TARDIS?" Kyleigh looked over at the Doctor.

"Can we stay focused, please?" The Doctor said. He turned his attention to Cathica. "Have you ever been to a different floor?"

Cathica started walking back to the spike room and the others followed. Once in the room the Doctor had settled himself in the chair.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical. That's when I got my head done. Then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat, and sleep on the same floor. That's it." She eyed the three of them. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last she's clever!" The Doctor said.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you ask?" Kyleigh asked.

"Why would I?"

"You're a journalist." The Doctor said. "Why are all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens aboard. Why?"

"No real reason. They're not banned or anything."

As they talked, Kyleigh thought it very strange that Cathica never asked questions. She mentioned threats, immigration had tightened up, and something about the government on Traffic Five had collapsed. How could no one notice? And if they did, why didn't they ask questions?

"This society is the wrong shape. The technology is wrong." The Doctor said.

"It's cutting edge!" Cathica defended.

"It's backwards. There's a great big door in your head. You should have chucked that out ages ago. Something is holding it back. Humanity has been set back 90 years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago."

The Doctor left the room as the others followed him. He went to the mainframe and started scanning with his sonic screwdriver. Cathica was not happy with what he was doing. She wanted to leave, but said she couldn't leave the three of them alone messing with things.

"If you want to be useful then get them to turn the heat down." Rose said. "Can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know." Cathica said.

The Doctor was finally able to hack into the mainframe. "Here we go, Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout."

Of course, Cathica didn't really look at it. She was still going on about how they shouldn't be doing this.

"There's something wrong." The Doctor said.

Cathica looked at the screen. "I suppose."

"What is it?" Kyleigh asked.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out…channeling massive amounts of heat down."

"All the way from the top." The Doctor said.

"Floor 500." Kyleigh and Rose said.

"Well, I feel like I'm missing out on a party. Fancy a trip upstairs?" Rose said.

"Count me in!" Kyleigh said.

"You can't. You need a key." Cathica said.

"Keys are just codes and I've got the codes right here." He gestured towards the screen, and then tapped a few keys. "There we go. Override 215.9."

"How come it's giving you the code?"

The Doctor looked up into the security camera. "Someone up there likes me."

They all headed for the lift and stepped inside except for Cathica who stayed outside.

"Are you coming?" Kyleigh asked.

"No way. And don't you dare mention my name." Cathica then started walking away.

"Bye." Rose said.

"Well, she's gone and Adam's given up. Looks like it's just the three of us." The Doctor said.

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Let's go." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor put in the code. The lift doors closed and soon they were on their way up. It wasn't long before the doors opened again and they stepped out. The first thing Kyleigh noticed was ice was covering the walls. It reminded Kyleigh of a cave.

"The walls are not made of gold." The Doctor said.

"Well, I'm disappointed." Kyleigh said.

"You two should go back downstairs."

"I'm not leaving." Rose said.

"Me either." Kyleigh said.

They made their way into another room with different monitors. A man was standing there, waiting for them.

"Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Four Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you three…you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you go through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

Rose spotted Suki and rushed over to her. "Suki! Can you hear me?" Rose looked over at the Editor. "What have you done to her?"

"I think she's dead." The Doctor said.

"But she's working." Kyleigh said.

"They all got chips in their head and the chip keeps them going."

"Oooh. You're full of information." The Editor said. "But it's only fair we get information back because apparently you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on, you two."

The three of them went to head out, but they were stopped by some people grabbing them.

"Tell me who you are."

"Since that information is keeping us alive I'm hardly going to say, am I?"

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

The Editor snapped his fingers and pointed up. The three of them looked up and saw a creature.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked.

"That 'thing' as you put it, is in charge of the human race." The Editor said.

The Doctor looked at him in alarm.

"For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanities guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe."

The jagrafess roared.

"I call him Max."

The Doctor, Rose, and Kyleigh were then restrained.

"If we create a climate of fear then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So, all the people on Earth are slaves." Rose said.

"Is a slave really a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes." Kyleigh and the Doctor said.

"You have to admit, it is a great system."

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must notice." Rose said.

"From time to time, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain. I can see the smallest doubt, and crush it. People carry on with their lives like their individuals, which they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you?" Rose asked. "You're not a Jagra…uh…"

"Jagrafess." The Doctor helped out.

"Right, Jagrafess. You're human."

"Well, simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"But you couldn't have done this on your own." Kyleigh said.

"I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um…install himself."

"What's his life span?" The Doctor asked.

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, stays alive. Satellite Five is one big support system."

The Editor snapped his fingers and an electrical shock went through the Doctor, Rose, and Kyleigh.

"Who are you?" The Editor asked.

"Leave them alone." The Doctor nodded towards Rose and Kyleigh. "I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler, and that's Kyleigh Chase. We're nothing, just wandering."

"Tell me who you are."

"I just said."

Kyleigh would have said something, but she didn't want to get shocked again so she kept her mouth closed.

"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who exactly…"

The Doctor looked at him questioningly. Kyleigh was also looking at him with confusion. Why had he stopped talking?

"Time Lord."

"What?" The Doctor said.

"Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine and with his two little human girls from long ago."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Time travel."

_How does he know this? _Kyleigh wondered.

"Someone is telling you lies." The Doctor said.

"Young master Adam Michell?" The Editor said. He snapped his fingers and a projection of Adam, withering in pain and shouting, the compressed information flowing into him.

"Oh, my God, his head." Rose said.

"They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything." The Doctor said.

"And through him I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And your infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your TARDIS."

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die all you like. I've got the key."

The TARDIS key started to float from Adam's pocket, dangling in front of his face.

The Doctor looked at Rose. "You and your boyfriends."

"We can rewrite history." The Editor said.

"And no one's gonna stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold."

An alarm started going off.

"What's happening?" The Editor asked. "Someone's disengaged the safety." He clicked his fingers and the projection showed Cathica, the compressed information flowing into her brain.

"It's Cathica." Rose said.

"And she's thinking." The Doctor said. "Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipes, the filters, she's reversing it."

The icicles began to melt.

"Terminate her access." The Editor said.

The screens exploded with sparks and the drones fall lifeless to the floor. Rose's manacles come undone. The Editor tries to get the corpses to sit upright.

"The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Doctor said.

The Jagrafess roared.

Rose fumbled in the Doctor's jacket for the sonic screwdriver. She found it and took it out. "What do I do?" Rose asked.

"Flick the switch." The Doctor said.

Rose does so and the sonic screwdriver buzzes as she freed the Doctor and Kyleigh. Once Kyleigh was free she rubbed her wrists.

"Oi, mate, wanna ban on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang." The Doctor said to the Editor. "See you in the headlines."

The Doctor, Rose, and Kyleigh then run from the room. They enter the room where Cathica was with the information still streaming into her. The Doctor clicked his fingers and the door in Cathica's head closed. She looked up at the Doctor who smiled at her.

Together, they all head back down to floor 139. Everyone was recovering from what had just happened.

"We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up." The Doctor said.

"You'll have to stay and explain. No one is going to believe me." Cathica said.

"They might start believing a lot of things now. The human race should accelerate. All back to normal."

Cathica eyed Adam who was loitering near the TARDIS. "What about your friend?"

"He's not my friend." The Doctor then marched over to Adam.

"I'm all right now. I've got the key." Adam said as he held it up. "Well, it…it all worked out for the best, didn't it?" He laughed nervously.

The Doctor took the key from him, unlocked the TARDIS, and pushed Adam inside.

"You know it's not actually my fault because you were in charge."

"Don't blame him for your stupid actions." Kyleigh said. "He doesn't control you."

They all piled into the TARDIS.

Nothing was said as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS. Soon, the TARDIS landed. The Doctor steered Adam outside; Rose and Kyleigh followed.

"It's my house. I'm home." Adam said.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor asked.

"What do you mean?"

The Doctor walked over to the telephone and picked it up. "The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world."

The Doctor put down the phone, took out his sonic screwdriver, pointed it to the telephone and blew it up.

"That's that, then. See ya." The Doctor walked back to the TARDIS.

"You can't just go. My head opens up." Adam said.

"Well, you're the one stupid enough to do that." Kyleigh said.

"Like this?" The Doctor said as he snapped his fingers, opening the door on Adam's forehead.

"Don't." Adam said angrily as he snapped his fingers to close it.

"Don't do what?" The Doctor snapped his fingers again; Kyleigh had to suppress a laugh.

Adam snapped his fingers. "Stop it."

"All right, now, Doctor. That's enough." Rose said.

"Thank you."

Rose snapped her fingers making Kyleigh let out the laugh she was holding back.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Adam snapped his fingers to close it again.

"The whole of history could have changed because of you." The Doctor said.

"I'm sorry. I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."

"Yes, I can. If you show your head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble, unseen. Good luck."

"But I want to come with you."

"I only take the best. I've got Rose and Kyleigh."

Kyleigh smiled at the mention of that.

The Doctor and Kyleigh headed back inside the TARDIS while Rose lingered with Adam for a little bit. She then walked inside and the Doctor took off.

"Did you really mean that?" Kyleigh asked the Doctor.

The Doctor looked up at her. "Mean what?"

"That you only take the best."

"Of course I did."

"So does that mean that I am no longer a guest?"

The Doctor glanced over at Rose. "What do you think?"

Rose pretended think about it. "Well, she has been helpful."

"Yes, she has." The Doctor turned his attention back over to Kyleigh. "I suppose if you want to stick around for a while longer."

"Of course I want to stick around. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't want to go home just yet."

"Well then, Kyleigh Chase, welcome on board the TARDIS." The Doctor beamed at her.

Kyleigh smiled. "Thank you. Does that mean I get a key now?"

"You just want everything, don't you?"

Kyleigh shrugged.

The Doctor reached in his pocket and pulled out a key he held it out to Kyleigh. Kyleigh took it with a big grin on her face.

"Yah, my very own TARDIS key!"

"It doesn't take much to get her excited."

Rose just smiled.

* * *

**Muirgen79: Daleks are definitely creepy. I'm sure I would be having nightmares if I ever met one.**


	13. Chapter 13

**As promised, here is my own adventure. I hope you all enjoy it. I had fun writing this adventure. ^_^**

* * *

The TARDIS landed, making Kyleigh and Rose fall to the floor. The Doctor had caught his balance.

Kyleigh immediately jumped up. "Where are we now?" She didn't wait for and answer as she raced out the doors.

"I do not want to see what she's like when she has sugar." The Doctor said as he and Rose followed Kyleigh out.

Rose laughed. "Yeah, she can get pretty hyper. I've learned the hard way never to give Kyleigh eleven pieces of marshmallows."

"Why would you give her eleven pieces of marshmallows?"

"We were playing chubby bunny."

The Doctor gave her a confused look.

"You have to put marshmallows in your mouth and saw chubby bunny. You go until you can't put anymore marshmallows in your mouth."

"That's a good way to choke."

"We were just kids. Got even worse when she drank soda afterwards."

When the two of them stepped out of the TARDIS they had to look around for Kyleigh. They found her a few feet away admiring a statue. She turned and when she saw them she ran over to them.

"It looks like we're in Greece." Kyleigh said.

"That's very good. We are." The Doctor said.

"So why is everything in English then? I know I can't read Greek."

"That's the TARDIS. It translates languages so you can understand them."

Kyleigh smiled. "That is awesome! Can we go to Rome? What about Egypt? Oh, we should go to Japan."

"Yeah, I definitely don't want to see her on sugar."

They began to walk around, and as Rose and the Doctor were looking at the different stalls and what they had to offer – food, clothes, and such – Kyleigh was busy admiring the different pieces of art. She had studied Greek art and found it fascinating. The Greeks were very talented.

Kyleigh passed the stall that was selling clothes. She glanced at it and then a thought occurred to her.

"Don't we stand out?" She asked. "I mean, we aren't exactly dressed for ancient Greece."

"Nah. People don't really pay attention. Just walk like you own the place." The Doctor said.

"Easier said than done." Kyleigh mumbled. She thought back to when she tried to get her painting in the art gallery. Maybe if she had walked like she owned the place instead of being a nervous wreck she would have gotten a taker for her piece.

Thinking about that made her think of the letter she had gotten about being accepted into art school. She never went because of Rose missing and now she is travelling through space and time. She still wanted to have her paintings displayed for the world to see, but she also wanted to keep travelling with The Doctor and Rose. She couldn't do both though.

Kyleigh was so wrapped in her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into someone. Kyleigh had caught her balance, but the man fell to the ground.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry." Kyleigh said. She held out her hand to the man. He accepted and Kyleigh helped him up.

"It is all right just be more careful where you are going."

"Yes, sir."

"Apollodorus, can you come over here." Someone called from a few feet from them.

"Wait…Apollodorus the painter?"

"Yes, that's me. Now if you'll excuse me." He then went over to the one who called him over.

"Who was that?" Rose asked when she walked up to Kyleigh.

"Apollodorus the painter." Kyleigh was still staring after him.

"So, you've heard of him?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but Kyleigh spoke up first.

"Heard of him? He's only one of the most influential painters in Greece. He's known for his technique skiagraphia. It's a shading technique." Kyleigh added when she saw the confusion on Rose's face. "It's highly sophisticated and even today people struggle to prefect it. It's also why he is known as the Shadow Painter. He developed the technique by the use of crosshatching and the thickening of the inner contour lines as well as the admixture of light and dark tones. What?" She asked when she saw the look the Doctor was giving her.

"Oh, he's probably upset because you explained something before he could." Rose said.

"I am not upset." The Doctor said. "Kyleigh, how did you know all that?"

Kyleigh shrugged. "I'm an artist and I love ancient Greece." She glanced over at where Apollodorus was still talking to the other man. "Just think of how much I could learn from him. Though, he does different art than I do."

"What's that?"

"From what I've read he paints people and I do mostly landscapes. It's a shame his work was lost. One of the paintings I've read about is this young maiden sitting on a rock by the water's edge with the sun setting as she looks out. Some say she looked sad, like she was waiting for a lost lover to return. Others say she had a thoughtful expression, just thinking. Guess I'll never know for sure." Kyleigh glanced over at Rose and the Doctor.

"You know, just like the Doctor can babble on about all the stuff he knows you can babble on about art." Rose said.

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't be. It's good you're passionate about something." The Doctor said. Kyleigh smiled.

"What have you done with her?" A woman screamed.

The trio glanced over at the woman who was yelling at a man and woman. From their clothes it appeared the man and woman were wealthy.

"I know you did something with her."

"Trouble already?" Kyleigh asked.

Apollodorus walked up to the woman and tried to pull her away, but she shrugged him off. She pointed towards the wealthy couple.

"They aren't what they appear to be. Don't trust them."

"Arrest her." The wealthy man said.

"No, please don't." Apollodorus said. "I promise you this will not happen again. She is just distraught about her daughter missing."

"If it happens again I will have her arrested."

The wealthy couple then walked away, leaving the woman crying. Kyleigh went to say something but stopped when she saw the Doctor and Rose were no longer standing next to her. Instead, they were walking towards the woman and Apollodorus. Kyleigh made her way over there.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help overhearing, but your daughter is missing?" The Doctor said.

The other man that had been talking to Apollodorus had also joined them.

"Yes, our daughter has been missing for some time." He said. "She worked in the noble's house.

"What did you mean when you said they weren't what they seem?" Rose asked.

The woman glanced at her. "I've heard them talking about things."

"Well, we'll help you find your daughter." The Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose, and Kyleigh."

"I'm Lycus, and this is my wife Eurydice."

"So, tell me about the disappearance of your daughter."

"It would be better if we spoke about this at our home."

"I will go back to my home and retrieve that letter. Maybe that will shed some light on this." Apollodorus said.

"May I come with you?" Kyleigh asked before she could stop the words.

Apollodorus looked at her. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Two hands are better than one, right?"

"All right."

"Try to keep your focus on the disappearance." The Doctor whispered to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She then went off with Apollodorus.

As they were walking, Kyleigh wanted to ask about his paintings and his technique, especially the painting with the young maiden, but she resisted. She wasn't sure where exactly she was in his time so she had no way of knowing what he has already done and what he hasn't. The Doctor's words then came back to her.

"So…what is this letter? I'm assuming it has something to do with the disappearance."

"It does, yes. Cyrene wrote to me many things about what she witnessed in that house. The letter was her last that she wrote."

"Why couldn't she just come talk to you?"

"She felt like she was being watched and did not want to be overheard."

The rest of the walk was in silence. It wasn't long before they arrived at his house and Kyleigh had to remind herself to stay focused as she stepped inside. Of course, when she saw one of his paintings the thought of staying focused went out the window.

She stared at it in awe. It was a painting of a woman standing on a cliff overlooking the sea.

"It's not one of my best." Apollodorus said when he noticed Kyleigh.

"I think it's great. I could never get the people right that's why I stick to landscapes."

"You are a painter?"

Kyleigh looked at him. "Don't sound so surprised."

"I'm sorry. There aren't many woman painters."

"No, I suppose there weren't in ancient Greece." Kyleigh mumbled to herself. "Anyway, back on task. Where's the letter."

"Oh, right." Apollodorus went over to the table and picked up the letter. "Cyrene would leave her letters in a secret place that only I knew about. The letter is in her handwriting, but it doesn't sound like something she would write. I fear she may have been followed and that person saw what she was doing."

"May I read the letter?"

Apollodorus handed the letter to Kyleigh. As she read her eyes widened. It couldn't be…but she was reading it and she doubted someone would make this up. The Doctor had to see this. Kyleigh glanced up when Apollodorus spoke.

"It does not make any sense. And Cyrene would not write like that."

"I'm sure the Doctor can figure it out." Kyleigh glanced back at the letter. Of course the Doctor will figure it out since what's going on is all written out but no one here would believe it. If Kyleigh hadn't seen what she had with Rose and the Doctor then she probably would find it hard to believe too.

"We might have a problem."

"What?" Kyleigh walked up to the window where Apollodorus was looking out. Outside were a group of soldiers. One of the soldiers, who Kyleigh assumed was the leader, was talking to the others and pointing to the house. "I'm thinking they want the letter back."

"Why? There's nothing in it that explains anything."

"There is it's just…they are going to set the house on fire." One of the soldiers brought over a torch. "Is there a back way out of here?"

"Yes."

Apollodorus led Kyleigh to the back of the house. He opened the door but quickly closed it when he saw another group of soldiers standing in their way.

"We're trapped." He said.

Kyleigh wanted nothing more than to go hide somewhere but she couldn't. Someone's life was on the line not to mention she and Apollodorus were about to be burned alive. What she was about to do was either really brave or really stupid. Quickly, Kyleigh glanced around. She grabbed a piece of parchment.

"What are you doing?" Apollodorus asked.

She handed the letter to him. "We both can't make it out of this. You give that letter to the Doctor. I'll take this blank piece of parchment and maybe I can fool them into thinking I have the letter."

"Why do they want the letter? What's it mean?"

"There's no time to explain now. Just make sure the Doctor gets that letter. He'll know what it means. I'll go first to distract them."

Apollodorus wasn't sure about this but said nothing.

Kyleigh took a deep breath, and then she opened to the door, stepped out, and closed the door behind her. "Hey, are you guys looking for this?" She held up the parchment she had folded.

"Get her." One of the soldiers said.

Kyleigh took off running with about eight soldiers behind her. What had she gotten herself into?

Kyleigh hid behind a wall, hoping the soldiers didn't see her. She held her breath as they ran passed her. When no more came, Kyleigh peered around the wall to make sure there weren't any soldiers around. When she saw the coast was clear she made a run in the opposite direction.

All this running brought the thoughts she had a year ago when she ran all the way to Rose's flat when Henrick's blew up. Kyleigh was sure she would never have to run for her life. Oh, how she was wrong. At least she was now getting exercise.

Kyleigh turned a corner and stopped in her tracks. Three soldiers were standing right in front of her. She turned to start running again, but before she could take a step something hard hit her in the head and her world went black.


	14. Chapter 14

**I would have had this chapter posted sooner, but I kept re-writing it because I didn't like how it turned out. I finally got it to where I like it and I hope all of you like it too. ^_^**

* * *

Rose and the Doctor were at the couple's house, listening to what happened before their daughter disappeared. Their daughter, Cyrene, had gotten a job in the noble's house as a tutor for the children. She had been working there for two weeks and things seemed to be going fine. They soon noticed a change in their daughter. She seemed nervous, and was always looking around like she was being watched. One day, she stopped visiting and they hadn't heard anything from her.

"What else can it be? The nobles must have had something to do with her disappearance." Lycus said.

"Are you sure she didn't say anything? She didn't tell you what was going on?" The Doctor asked.

"No, nothing. She left letters for Apollodorus. Maybe this last letter will tell us something."

"Why did she leave letters for him and not you?" Rose asked.

"I don't know."

While Lycus tried to calm down his wife, Rose and the Doctor were a few feet away as they talked about what was going on.

"What do you think it is?" Rose asked.

"I have no idea. It could just be a simple case of a missing person. Or it could be aliens. Not much to go on right now."

"But you're hoping its aliens, aren't you?"

"That would be more interesting than just a normal disappearance."

The door burst open and everyone turned their attention in that direction. Standing in the doorway was Apollodorus, panting to catch his breath. It only took the Doctor a second to realize someone was missing.

"Where's Kyleigh?"

"Soldiers surrounded my house. Kyleigh distracted them so I could give you the letter. She said you would know what it means." Apollodorus handed over the letter; the Doctor snatched it from him. "I'm sorry."

"How many soldiers were there?" Rose asked.

"At least eight. Maybe more."

Rose looked at the Doctor who was already reading the letter. "What does it say?"

"We aren't dealing with a normal disappearance." The Doctor turned his attention to Apollodorus. "Which way did Kyleigh go?"

"You aren't going after her, are you?" Apollodorus asked.

"Kyleigh is my friend. I'm not going to leave her to fend off soldiers by herself."

"She took off towards the East."

The Doctor turned to the couple. "I will find out what happened to your daughter. Right now, though I have to go help my friend."

"I understand." Lycus said.

The Doctor and Rose then took off out of the house. Worry filled Rose. She knew there was no way Kyleigh could outrun eight soldiers. She feared what they would do to her friend if they caught her.

"What did the letter say?" Rose asked.

"We're dealing with aliens. Cyrene saw something that she described as not human and that means aliens."

"And the aliens are connected to the noble family? Why would they be working with aliens?"

"There could a number of reasons the nobles are working with aliens. Or maybe the aliens are making them do their bidding. Whatever it is, we have to find Kyleigh and sort it all out."

The Doctor soon stopped to glance around.

"I don't see any soldiers anywhere." He said.

"You don't think they already caught her?"

"If they did I will get her back." He looked at Rose. "I promise. It might be time to visit this noble family." The two of them then made their way to the noble's family house.

* * *

The first thing Kyleigh realized when she woke up was that her head was pounding. She put her hand to her head and felt something wet. When she took her hand away and looked at it she saw blood. The second thing she noticed was she was in a very nice house. She sat up when she realized where she was. Glancing up, she saw the two nobles who Eurydice had been yelling at.

"I was expecting you to be out longer." The man said. "I am Argus and this is my wife Jocasta. And you are?"

"I'm not about to tell you." Kyleigh said as she stood up.

"We introduced ourselves. It is only polite to introduce yourself."

Kyleigh was silent.

"I want that letter." Argus held up the blank parchment Kyleigh had.

"Why do you want it? There is nothing in it that says anything about what's been going on here. It was just nonsense."

Argus stood up. "You know something."

"I don't know anything."

"I don't believe you. Tell me what you know."

"I don't…" Kyleigh glanced around, trying to find a way out.

"Sir, there are people here to see you." A soldier said as he came into the room.

"Who?" Argus asked, not taking his eyes off Kyleigh.

"They said they are the Doctor and Rose."

Without thinking, Kyleigh made a run for the door. "Rose!"

The soldier grabbed Kyleigh and covered her mouth. She struggled to get free, but the soldier was too strong.

"Lock her up for now." Argus said. "I will deal with her later."

Kyleigh continued to struggle as the soldier dragged her away.

The Doctor and Rose were waiting outside as the soldier went to let the owners of the house know they needed to talk. Rose was looking at the garden when something caught her attention. She glanced over at the Doctor.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard someone."

"Maybe it was just your imagination."

"Maybe." Rose couldn't shake the feeling that someone had screamed and it sounded like they called for her.

The door opened again, but the soldier who opened it was a different one from the one who had the first time.

"Argus and Jocasta will see you now." The Soldier said.

"Thank you." The Doctor said as he and Rose stepped inside.

They were led into a room where a man and woman sat, looking like they ruled the city. Rose assumed they were Argus and Jocasta. She kept glancing around her for any sign of Kyleigh.

"You must be the Doctor and Rose." Argus said. "I am Argus and this is my wife Jocasta. What can we do for you?"

"We've come to ask you about a missing girl." The Doctor said. "It started with that, but then I heard your soldiers were chasing a friend of mine."

"What is your friend's name?" Jocasta asked.

"Her name is Kyleigh. Where is she?"

"I have never met her before." Argus said. "I don't know where Cyrene went either."

"Why were your soldiers chasing Kyleigh? And why do you want that letter?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"If you have done anything to Kyleigh-"

"You'll do what?" Argus asked as he stood up and walked closer to the Doctor. "You have no proof of anything. Good luck trying to find any. See them to the door."

The soldier went to grab Rose, but the Doctor pushed her behind him and glared at the soldier. The Doctor then grabbed a hold of Rose's hand and made their way out.

"What if something bad has happened to Kyleigh?" Rose asked once they were outside.

"I will find her. We need to figure out what kind of aliens we're dealing with and why they're here."

"So, what are we going to do now?"

He glanced at her. "We might just have to sneak in to find some answers."

"All right then, let's go." Rose went to turn around but the Doctor stopped her.

"We can't do it during the day. We'll have to wait until night."

"But who knows what could happen to Kyleigh by then."

The Doctor said nothing.

* * *

"You can't leave me in here!" Kyleigh yelled through her cell bars. "My friends will come for me."

"Once I'm through with you your friends will never find you." Argus said as he walked in, closely followed by a soldier. "You will die and your body will never be found."

Kyleigh took step back. "What are your plans? Why are you doing this?"

"Do you honestly think I would tell you? I need to know what your friends know. If they discover what's really going on…well, we can't have that."

"If you're expecting me to help you then you're dumber than you look."

"Oh, you'll find you won't have a choice." Kyleigh shivered at the smile on his face. Argus then turned to the soldier. "Bring her to the room.

The soldier unlocked the cell, grabbed Kyleigh by the arm, and started dragging her away.

Kyleigh struggled. She had no idea what was waiting for her, but she knew it couldn't be anything good. They rounded a corner and Kyleigh's eyes landed on a vase. As they passed, she grabbed it and hit the soldier in the head. The soldier was taken off guard and his grip loosened on Kyleigh. She quickly got free and began to run. She didn't get very far when the soldier caught up with her. He grabbed her and turned her to face him.

"Don't do that again."

The look in his eyes made Kyleigh nod. They continued their way to the room. When they got there it wasn't anything Kyleigh was expecting. She was expecting a torture chamber, but what she saw made her question even more what Argus was going to do with her. There was only a single chair in the center of the room. There were no windows.

The soldier pushed Kyleigh in and she was ordered to sit down. She didn't dare look back or try to run so she just sat down. She heard the door shut as a shiver went down her spine.

Argus stood in front of her. "I'm surprised you aren't trying to escape. Most people do."

"I tried escaping or is your memory that bad that you can't remember just a few minutes ago." Kyleigh regretted that as soon as it left her mouth.

Argus slapped her across the face. "You'll just make this easier then."

The door opened and Kyleigh couldn't help but glance behind her. The soldier walked into the room with a box. He opened it and Argus pulled out a worm.

"Wha-what are you going to do with that?' Kyleigh asked.

Argus smirked. "This is how I'm going to find out what your friends know."

Kyleigh was confused but that was quickly replaced with fear as the soldier grabbed hold of her head and tilted it to the side. Kyleigh had no time to react as Argus stepped closer to her and dropped the worm in her ear.

Kyleigh pushed the soldier away from her as she stood from the chair. She stumbled to the door as she wondered why Argus and the soldier weren't trying to stop her. It didn't matter. She had to escape and find Rose and the Doctor.

She put her hand on the door but hesitated opening it. Her mind was foggy as she tried to remember something important. There was somewhere she had to be, she was just thinking about it. Where that was she couldn't remember for some reason. It had something to do with…what was she forgetting?

"Kyleigh." Argus said.

Kyleigh had a feeling that she had to get out of this room. She still couldn't remember where she had to go. Why did she have to get out anyway? Kyleigh dropped her hand to her side and turned to face Argus.

"Are you ready to serve me?"

"Yes."

Argus smiled. "Good. I need you to go find this Doctor and his friend Rose. Find out what they know and report back to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Kyleigh left to find the Doctor and Rose. All thoughts of trying to escape were gone from her mind. She had a mission and she wouldn't stop until she had reported back to Argus.

* * *

**Lost Lady of Time: I'm glad you are loving this. Thanks for the review! **


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor and Rose had made it inside the house without much trouble. They only wandered around for a little while before Rose got a strange feeling. She couldn't exactly place what it was. It was only when they walked into the next room that she realized what was wrong.

"Doctor, there's no one here."

The pair of them stopped as they glanced around the room. "You're right. That's a bit strange. We should have seen someone by now."

Rose walked over to a doorway and was about to poke her head in when Kyleigh came running out of the room

"Kyleigh." Rose said as she wrapped her friend in a hug. "I was so worried about you."

Kyleigh stood with her arms at her sides. "It's about time you showed up."

Rose released her and looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Of course I'm all right."

"Where is everyone?" The Doctor asked.

"How should I know? I saw a chance to run and I took it."

"Kyleigh, how much of this place have you seen?"

"What kind of question is that? I haven't seen much. What have you been up to since I've be captured? Do you know what's going on?"

The Doctor looked at her. "Not yet."

"So you didn't get the letter?"

"Oh, I got the letter."

"Do you have any idea what's going on? You can't believe that nonsense in the letter."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "After all you have seen you're calling it nonsense? Time to find out what's really going on?" The Doctor walked off.

"Ky, are you sure you're all right?" Rose asked.

"I said I'm fine. You don't have to keep asking me." Kyleigh then followed the Doctor; Rose wasn't far behind.

As they wandered through the house, Rose kept glancing at Kyleigh. Kyleigh was asking the Doctor what he knew and what he thought was going on. Something just didn't seem right.

"Kyleigh, what did they do to you when the brought you here?" The Doctor asked.

"They…" Kyleigh trailed off as she stopped and stared at nothing. Both the Doctor and Rose also stopped to look at her. "They did something…"

"What? What did they do?"

Kyleigh was silent for a few seconds before she shook her head and looked at them. "Isn't that what you should be trying to figure out? We should get out of here." Kyleigh then turned and started walking away.

"Doctor, something's wrong with her." Rose said.

"I was beginning to realize that. We need to find out what's going on now. Oh Kyleigh, we aren't done searching yet."

Kyleigh stopped and turned back to them. "There's nothing here. You'll just be wasting your time."

"How do you know nothing is here if you didn't see anything in this place?"

"I-I just know. I overheard me of the soldiers talking. Whatever is going on isn't happening here."

"I'm not leaving because whatever is going on here they have done something to my friend. I'm going to find out what and fix it." The Doctor turned and walked away.

Kyleigh hurried after him. "Why are you so determined to find out what's going on?"

"Kyleigh, what happened to you?" Rose asked.

"Nothing."

They rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop. Standing before them was a group of soldiers.

"Hello. Don't mind us." The Doctor said.

"You aren't allowed to be in here." One of the soldiers said. He then turned his attention to Kyleigh. "You were supposed to find out what they know, not lead them here."

"They were already here when I ran into them." Kyleigh said. "And they don't know anything. That's why they are sneaking around."

"What have you done to Kyleigh?" Rose asked.

"Same thing we might do to you." The soldier turned to the other soldiers. "Search them."

A couple of the soldiers did as they were told.

"Hey, watch it." Rose said.

"What's this?" A soldier asked as he took out the sonic screwdriver.

"That's nothing." The Doctor said.

"Well, I'll be holding on to this."

"Lock them up for now." The leader said. "We'll see what out master wants to do with them."

Rose struggled as a soldier grabbed her. "Kyleigh, don't let them control you. You have to remember, we're your friends."

Kyleigh said nothing as she watched the soldiers drag them off.

"Hey, watch it." Rose said as she and the Doctor were pushed into a cell. "What are we going to do?"

"First, we're going to get out of here. Second, we're going to save Kyleigh and find out what's going on."

"And how are we going to get out of here?"

"Working on it."

"Can you save our mother and father too?"

Rose and the Doctor looked across to the other cell and saw two children no more than eight or nine. There was also a teenager with them.

"Argus and Jocasta are your mother and father?" Rose asked.

The boy nodded. "They started acting strange and locked us up."

"What's your names?"

"I'm Cyrene. These two are Solon and Ariadne."

"Cyrene? You're parents are Lycus and Eurydice." The Doctor said.

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"They asked us to find you. Tell me everything that happened."

"It happened three weeks ago. Something fell from the sky. Some of the soldiers went to check it out, but when they came back they were…different. Lord Argus and Lady Jocasta went to with those same soldiers to see what it was. When they came back they were talking about sending soldiers to guard the cave."

"Father usually explains what he's doing and how things are done." Solon said. "He didn't this time and when I asked he said it didn't concern me. When we didn't stop asking questions he locked us up."

"Don't you worry. We'll get out of here and set things right." The Doctor said.

"How do you plan on getting out?" Cyrene asked.

"Still working on that."

Rose and the Doctor inspected the bars for any sign of weakness. Rose even tried looking at the walls to see if they were corroded enough to break down. So far, they came to nothing.

"Are you certain you can help?" Cyrene asked.

"I'm certain." The Doctor answered without glancing at her.

Cyrene nodded. "Guard, there's something I need!"

The Doctor and Rose looked at Cyrene, wondering what she was doing.

It didn't take long for a soldier to appear.

"What do you want?"

"Well, it's not really something I need. The children need water."

"You know the rules. You each get water and food in the morning and the evening. You've already had your evening rations."

"Please, don't make the children suffer. They're still growing. They need more than I do."

The soldier walked close to the cell. "There are no exceptions. The children will have to-"

He never got to finish his sentence since at that moment Cyrene grabbed his shirt and pulled him hard. The soldier hit his head on the bars and fell to the ground. Cyrene kneeled down and grabbed the keys. She stood and looked at the Doctor.

"Nicely done." The Doctor said.

Cyrene unlocked her cell, and then did the same for Rose and the Doctor.

"Cyrene, where is this cave they were guarding?"

"North, just outside the town."

"All right. Take the kids to your parents' house. We'll find out what's going on and make it right."

The five of them made their way out. They had a few close calls with soldiers, but they easily hid and were able to make their way around without being seen. Cyrene took the children to her house while Rose and the Doctor made their way to the cave. They stopped a few feet from the cave entrance. It was guarded by the soldiers.

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked.

"The easiest way to find something out is to get caught."

"You want to get caught again? What if they lock us back in the cells?"

"They won't do that. I'm sure whatever is going in is in that cave and with us being this close to it they will take us to whoever's in charge."

With that, the Doctor marched towards the soldiers. Rose hurried after him.

"Halt." A soldier said when he noticed the Doctor and Rose. "Wait, weren't you two supposed to be locked up?"

"Yeah, we were and now we're out." The Doctor said.

"You two are going to be a problem. We should take them to the leader."

"Good idea." The Doctor smiled as Rose just rolled her eyes.

One of the soldiers led the Doctor and Rose inside the cave while the other two soldiers stayed outside.

As they were being led to wherever it was, Rose kept glancing around for any sign of Kyleigh. Kyleigh was tough and could take care of herself, but if they had her under some kind of mind control then there was no telling what was going to happen.

The three of them walked into a bigger part of the cave. Rose glanced around at the many soldiers. She soon spotted Kyleigh standing near Argus and Jocasta. The Doctor's attention was on something different entirely.

"Now look at that. That is interesting." The Doctor smiled.

Rose turned her attention to where the Doctor was looking. "You have got to be kidding me."


	16. Chapter 16

Rose had never been afraid of creepy crawlies that much. Of course, she had never been faced with one this big. Only a few feet from them was a giant worm. It had to be at least eight feet long. Unlike the smaller ones, this one had a face.

"These are the two causing problems." The soldier said as he pushed Rose and the Doctor closer to the worm.

"What have you done to Kyleigh and the others?" The Doctor asked.

"A simple mind control." The worm answered.

"Release them."

"No. I need them."

"For what?"

"Who are you to question me?"

"I'm the Doctor. Who are you?"

"I am Narpor and you shall be my slaves. Get them."

A soldier went after Rose, but she quickly ducked. The Doctor stepped out of the way as two soldiers went after him, making the two soldiers run into each other. More soldiers came after Rose; she ran.

She went up to Kyleigh. "Kyleigh, you have to remember. We're friends."

"I don't think so."

Kyleigh tried to go around Rose, but Rose stepped in front of her.

"Remember when we were younger and we played chubby bunny? Do you remember how many marshmallows you were able to put in your mouth?"

"I don't…"

"Yes, you do. How many?"

Kyleigh got a distant look in her eyes. "Eleven. I put eleven marshmallows in my mouth."

Rose smiled. "That's right. I did nine and you were so happy you got two more than me."

Kyleigh groaned as she held her head. She then looked at Rose. "I have orders to restrain you."

"Doctor! Do something."

The Doctor, who had been dealing with his own soldiers, dodged them until her was standing near the worm. He was soon grabbed from behind and pulled back.

"What do you want with this planet? What do you plan to do?"

"We need to get back home."

"What do you need the humans for?"

"Our ship is in need of repair. Now, you will become part of us and help."

A soldier came forward with a small worm. The Doctor tried to move back, but the soldier held him in place.

"Wait, wait, wait. Do you just need to repair your ship and then you'll go home? You aren't planning to take over this planet?"

The worm made a noise that was either a laugh, or it was in pain. "We do not care about this planet. We just want to go home. When the humans saw us they attacked. I had no choice but to control them."

"What if we make a deal?"

"What deal can you possibly offer?"

"If you let the humans go I will help you repair your ship."

"Why would you help?"

"It's what he does." Rose said. "Let him help and I promise you'll get back home."

Narpor stared at the Doctor, thinking of the offer.

Finally, Narpor said, "I will trust you, but if you are lying then the one you call Kyleigh will be the first to die."

"I have no worries then."

Narpor screeched. Everyone except Rose and the Doctor held their heads. Then, small worms fell out of their ears.

Kyleigh took a quick glance at the worm which was now crawling towards the bigger worm. "Ew, that thing was in my ear." She wiped her ear. "Gross, gross, gross. I need to wash my brain now."

Rose smiled as she hugged her friend. "Good to have you back."

"Good to be back."

"What…What's going on?" Argus asked.

"Rose will explain." The Doctor said. "I have some things I need to talk about."

As the Doctor stayed behind in the cave, Rose and Kyleigh walked back to town with the others.

"Let's go to Cyrene and tell her everything is all right." Rose said.

As they made their way out of the cave, Rose was telling Argus and Jocasta that the creature didn't mean any harm and only wanted to return home. Kyleigh was walking behind them, her finger in her ear. The worm was out, but the feeling still remained.

Rose glanced back. "Is that helping?"

Kyleigh took out her finger from her ear. "Not really."

When they arrived at the house, Solon and Ariadne were hesitant when they saw their parents. Rose assured them that everything was all right. It wasn't until Jocasta kneeled down, smiled, and told her children she and their father were better. The children smiled back and hugged their mother.

"Where's the Doctor?" Lycus asked.

"Taking care of some things." Rose answered. "I'm going back to make sure he's all right."

"I'll go with you." Kyleigh said.

Kyleigh took a step towards the door, but Eurydice stopped her. "Apollodorus was worried. You may want to let him know you're all right."

Kyleigh nodded. "I will." She and Rose then left.

The two friends walked in silence. Once they were out of the village Rose asked, "So, what was it like? Being controlled?"

"It was like watching a movie. I could see what was going on, but I couldn't control what was happening. I still feel grossed out and violated. And this whole thing has given me a new fear of worms."

Rose laughed. "Now I have something to torture you with."

"I'm going to slap you if I wake up and there are worms in my bed."

The two of them arrived at the cave. Seeing light on the side, they headed in that direction. When they got there they saw torches spread around a crater in the ground. The giant worm was by the hole. As they walked closer they could hear the Doctor.

"…and it should be as good as new."

Rose stood by Narpor while Kyleigh kept her distance.

"It seems your companions have come to see if you're still alive, Doctor." Narpor said.

"Oh, we were just coming to see if we could help." Rose said.

"I'm just about done here." The Doctor said. "It was an easy fix." The Doctor moved his sonic screwdriver over the control panel, making sure everything was fine. Once he was done with that he replaced the lid to the panel. He smiled up at them.

"All done. You'll be able to get home now."

"Thank you, Doctor. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused."

The Doctor climbed out of the hole. "It's all right. Just a little misunderstanding."

Narpor turned towards Kyleigh and she took a step back. "I am sorry for having my babies control you."

"It's – it's all right." Kyleigh said.

"I will try not to control any more humans. You have showed me now all humans are bad."

"Well, hopefully you won't crash land on Earth again." The Doctor said.

"I hope not either." The worm screeched. Kyleigh jumped when many baby worms made their way to the ship. "Good-bye." Narpor then made his way inside the ship. The door closed and soon the ship took off.

Once the ship was out of sight the Doctor looked at Kyleigh. "Kyleigh, you all right?"

"Of course I'm all right. I still need to wash my brain."

"Let me know how that works out for you."

The three of them started making their way back to the TARDIS.

"Oh, but we can't leave yet." Kyleigh said. "I guess Apollodorus has been worried about me so I need to let him know I'm all right."

"That's fine. Should make sure everyone else is all right as well."

When morning came, Rose and the Doctor went to check on Lycus, Eurydice, and Cyrene. Kyleigh went to see Apollodorus.

"I'm glad to see you are all right." Apollodorus said when he let Kyleigh in.

"The Doctor helped and everyone is back to normal."

"That is good to hear."

"Are you starting another painting?" Kyleigh asked when she saw a blank canvas and some paints out.

"Trying to at least. With everything that has been going on I haven't been able to find inspiration. My mind was too focused on other things."

"I know the feeling. My friend had gone missing and I couldn't paint a single thing for a year. Still haven't, actually."

"A year is a long time to go without painting."

"Yeah, well, inspiration is hard to find sometimes."

"I suppose we will just have to seize our own inspiration."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"There's only one way. Pick up a paintbrush and just start painting."

"I've tried that. It's like I have a block in my head."

"It's because you're thinking. When you paint, don't think. Just create. Will you allow me to paint your picture? I think you're just the inspiration I need."

"Oh, uh…ok. Let me just see if my friends don't mind staying a while longer."

As Kyleigh made her way out, she tried to contain her excitement. She would be getting her portrait painted by the famous Greek painter Apollodorus. She didn't have far to walk since she saw the Doctor and Rose coming her way.

"Everyone is all right." The Doctor said. "Cyrene even agreed to continue tutoring the kids."

"That's good." Kyleigh said.

"Why are you smiling?" Rose asked.

"Apollodorus wants to paint a portrait of me. Is that all right?"

"Sure. We have nowhere to be." The Doctor said.

If Kyleigh's smile could get any bigger it would have. The three of them made their way back to Apollodorus' house. He then gathered up his supplies, saying he knew the best place to paint. It didn't take them long when they reached the ocean shore.

As Apollodorus was setting up Kyleigh said, "The famous maiden painting was painted on the beach." A thought struck her as she turned to the Doctor. "Am I replacing the maiden? Am I going to mess up the timeline or something? Is history going to change? Oh, that's bad."

"Calm down, Kyleigh. I think you were always the maiden." The Doctor said.

"But how? In my time the painting was already done. How could I be the one when it hadn't happened yet?"

"It hadn't happened to you yet, but it did happen."

"So before I came here I was here already?"

"Don't think about it too much. You'll just give yourself a headache." Rose said.

"I'm ready." Apollodorus said.

"But I'm still-"

"Just go." Rose said as she gave her friend a nudge.

Without saying another word, Kyleigh walked towards Apollodorus. He had her sit on a rock while she was looking out towards the ocean.

It was strange. Kyleigh had always wanted to see the picture of the maiden. There were so many theories about who the maiden could be. Kyleigh even had her own ideas. Never in a million years would she have thought she was the maiden. Of course, she never thought she would meet a time-travelling alien and she would be able to travel through space and time.

She was twelve-years-old when she first read about the painting. Seven years before she met the Doctor. Very strange how time travel works.

Kyleigh lost track of how long she was sitting there. She just couldn't get her mind off how the portrait was being painted now and in a few thousand years she would learn about it. Then she would come here…Rose was right. Thinking about it just makes your head hurt.

"All finished." Apollodorus said.

Kyleigh stood from the rock as she stretched. She then walked over to look at the painting.

"That's amazing. Very good work."

"You think so? I must say, I do think it is one of my finest."

Kyleigh smiled. She glanced around and it was then that she noticed Rose and the Doctor were gone.

"I guess my friends got tired of waiting."

Kyleigh helped Apollodorus pack up his supplies and the two of them made their way back to his place.

"Well, I should go find my friends."

Kyleigh turned to head out, but Apollodorus called her. "Kyleigh, please take this with you." He handed her the painting she had noticed earlier. The one with woman standing on a cliff.

"I can't…I can't take that."

"Please, I insist. Maybe with this you'll remember me and make your own inspiration." He handed her the painting.

"Um, thank you."

Kyleigh left with a smile. Aside from the worm in her head and being controlled, this was the best trip ever.

She soon met up with Rose and the Doctor, who were looking at what the stands were selling.

"All done." Kyleigh said when she walked up to them.

"Is that the painting?" Rose asked.

"No, this is a different one. Apollodorus insisted that I take it."

"I want to see your painting before we leave."

The three of them headed back to Apollodorus to see the painting. Both Rose and the Doctor were impressed with the work. Once they were done admiring it they went back to the TARDIS and off to their next adventure.

"I think I'm going to see if inspiration comes to me and paint something." Kyleigh said. She turned to go to her room.

"Ky, can I ask you something?" Rose asked. Kyleigh looked at her. "You were going to go to art school. What happened with that? Do you still want to go?"

"I actually applied to an art school and was accepted."

"Why didn't you go?"

Kyleigh shrugged. "Something more important happened."

"More important than going to art school? That sounds like an amazing opportunity." The Doctor said.

"It probably was, but travelling with you is an even more amazing opportunity." Kyleigh smiled then made her way to her room.

She couldn't tell Rose that she didn't go to art school because she went missing. That would just make Rose feel guilty and Kyleigh didn't want that. There would always be a part of Kyleigh that would want her art displayed for people to see, but for now she was content with just travelling. This was something not everyone got to do and she would have to be stupid not to travel with the Doctor. So much wonder to see. She didn't want to miss it for anything.

Kyleigh took out the few paint supplies she packed with her and the one small blank canvas. She didn't have a stand so she had to make due with just painting it on the floor. She glanced over at the painting Apollodorus gave her. Her attention then went back to her canvas.

"All right, time to paint again." She picked up her paintbrush, dipped it in the paint and let her brush glide over the canvas.

* * *

**Lady Artimes Blane: Sorry for the cliffhanger. Please don't die! I love your reviews. **

**Briteskylar: Yes, me and my cliffhangers haha. Couldn't resist. **


	17. Chapter 17

The knocking wouldn't stop. Kyleigh tried to ignore it, hoping they would just go away. They were persistent, though. Now would be a great time to have some earphones so she could listen to her music and drown out the rest of the world.

"Kyleigh, open up." Rose said from the other side of the door. "You've been in there for hours."

"Give me a few more minutes."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago."

"Hush. You can't rush art."

Kyleigh heard Rose and the Doctor talking, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She thought she heard the Doctor say something about being naked, but she wasn't sure.

Finally, Kyleigh stepped back to admire her work. She put it on the nightstand, leaning it against the wall. She tilted her head to one side; then the other. Shrugging her shoulders, Kyleigh went and opened the door. Rose and the Doctor stopped talking when they saw her appear.

"I was beginning to wonder if we had to break down the door." Rose said.

"I was only in there for a few hours."

"Four hours, twenty-three minutes, and eighteen seconds." The Doctor said. Both Rose and Kyleigh glanced at him. "I'm good with time."

"So, are you going to show us what you've been doing for four hours?" Rose asked, turning her attention back to Kyleigh.

Kyleigh glanced back at her painting, then back to Rose. "All right." She stepped aside, waiting for their reaction.

"Ky, it's beautiful." Rose said.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do."

"You have some talent, Kyleigh." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh smiled as she glanced back at her painting. The sun was setting over the ocean with a mix of orange and red. In the background was the TARDIS.

"So, what have you two been up to?" Kyleigh asked as she put her paints away.

Rose smiled. "Glad you asked. We picked up some things-"

"She picked up. I was dragged." The Doctor said.

"And what did you pick up?"

"All the things you need to make your brownies." Rose said.

"Just couldn't wait any more, could you?" Kyleigh laughed.

"Nope."

"All right."

Kyleigh and Rose made their way to the kitchen while the Doctor went to do whatever it was he did. He told them they could spend girl time together.

When they got to the kitchen Kyleigh saw that everything as already set out. "Wow, you really do want me to make my brownies."

"It's not my fault you make the best brownies."

Kyleigh just shook her head. She then began to measure the ingredients as the two of them talked. Kyleigh asked questions about Rose's adventures with the Doctor and Rose was happy to answer.

It wasn't long until Kyleigh put the brownies in the oven and set the timer.

"So, what's the real reason you didn't go to art school?" Rose asked.

"I told you."

"I know you. And I know there is a reason."

Kyleigh avoided Rose's gaze. There wasn't anything convincing she could say. Rose had always been able to tell when Kyleigh was lying. She could see that Rose wasn't going to let it go so she might as well tell her and get it over with.

Kyleigh glanced at her friend. "I didn't go because…because you went missing. I couldn't leave without knowing you were safe. I would be worried and thinking about you and wouldn't be able to get anything done."

"Ky, I'm-"

"Don't you dare apologize. It wasn't your fault. Besides, if I had gone then I wouldn't have had this opportunity."

"Still, I feel bad. I know how much your painting means to you."

"It's fine. I don't need to go to art school to paint."

"I'm sorry."

"What did I say about apologizing?" Kyleigh grabbed a handful of flour and flung it at Rose.

Rose looked down at where the flour had hit her, then back up at Kyleigh. "I can't believe you did that."

"Well, I did tell you not to apologize. You just didn't listen."

"You know what this means, don't you? This means war."

Rose made a grab for the bag of flour. Kyleigh anticipated what Rose was going to do and easily grabbed the bag.

"Ha ha. Can't get me without the flour." Kyleigh taunted.

Rose had a look of determination in her eyes. She went to grab the flour once again, but Kyleigh pulled it away.

Rose took a step forward, but stopped. Her eyes got wide." Doctor."

Kyleigh turned, expecting to see the Doctor with either a look of confusion or annoyance. Kyleigh was the one who had a confused expression when she didn't see the Doctor. She turned back to Rose to say something, but was caught off guard when Rose grabbed the bag of flour.

"Hey, that's cheating!"

Rose laughed. "There are no rules in a flour war." Rose grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at Kyleigh.

Kyleigh tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough and got a face full of flour.

The next few minutes were spent with both girls fighting over the bag of flour and throwing the flour at each other. At one point, as they struggled for the bag, it ripped. That didn't stop them from their fight. They scooped the flour off the floor and continued throwing it at each other.

"I am not cleaning that up."

Both Kyleigh and Rose stopped what they were doing and looked over where the Doctor was standing. He looked more amused than angry.

"She started it." Rose said as she pointed to Kyleigh.

"Well, it's nice to know you'll sell out your best friend." Kyleigh said.

"I only speak the truth. I was innocent, just minding my own business."

"You were not. I told you not to do something and you did it anyway."

"Well, I-"

"Hey, what about the brownies?" The Doctor interrupted.

"Oh." Kyleigh said. She glanced at the oven just as the timer went off. She took them out of the oven. "No worries."

As the brownies were cooling, the Doctor asked what had started the flour fight.

"I apologized." Rose answered. The Doctor was even more confused.

Kyleigh explained the reason why she didn't go to art school and the reason she didn't tell them to begin with was because she knew Rose would blame herself and feel bad. Kyleigh didn't want that. It wasn't Rose's fault and Kyleigh assured the Doctor that she didn't blame him either.

"Besides, if I went then I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to come with you." Kyleigh smiled. "I'm young. There's still plenty of time for me to go to art school."

Once the brownies were cooled off, Kyleigh cut some pieces and handed one to both Rose and the Doctor. She then took one for herself.

"Rose was right. You do make some good brownies."

"Thank you."

"So Kyleigh, how is it that you believe in aliens?" The Doctor asked.

Kyleigh laughed. "That was random."

"Just been a question I've been wondering."

"It was when I was about nine. I was at the hospital to get my appendix removed. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the surgery was postponed and I had to stay the night. I was scared so I hid in a closet. A doctor found me and started talking to me. He took me up to the roof and, I'm not sure how we got on the subject, but he talked about how there was life out in the galaxy. And he told me about his friend who was scared of doing things when they first met, but she became very brave. He told me I could do great things too if I just believed."

"Sounds like a weird conversation."

Kyleigh let out a laugh. "It probably would make more sense if I could remember the whole conversation."

"I remember you telling me about that." Rose said. "You thought that doctor was cute."

"Oh, you had a crush on this doctor." The Doctor said.

"I do remember I thought he was cute. I never saw him again. Of course, my surgery was early in the morning and I was out most of the time. I'll always remember how he helped me get through that. Strange how just a few minutes with a stranger can change how you look at things."

After a few more minutes of talking – and Kyleigh trying to say they should save some of the brownies instead of eating them all – the Doctor said he was going to go fiddle with something while Rose and Kyleigh cleaned their mess.

"This definitely wasn't our first flour fight." Rose said.

"And it's definitely not going to be the last." Kyleigh added.

The Doctor just shook his head as he walked out of the room, mumbling something about what had he gotten himself into with inviting Kyleigh along. Kyleigh and Rose chuckled.

"We'll keep him on his toes for sure with the two of us." Kyleigh said.

Rose nodded.

The two of them began to clean up their mess. Occasionally, one of them would throw flour at the other, which made cleaning take a little longer. Neither one complained, though. They were having fun while doing it.

* * *

**Lady Atrimes Blane: Haha yeah, it was. Thought it would be fun to have everyone thinking it would turn out to be something really bad, but in the end it wasn't at all what they were thinking. **

**Guest: Thank you for your long and thought out review. I'm so glad you are liking the story so far and that Kyleigh fits well with the story.**


	18. Chapter 18

Kyleigh looked around in amazement. She couldn't believe it. She had already seen some interesting things with the Doctor, but this was different. This is what she had always believed and her aunt and uncle called her a nutter.

"Don't go wandering off."

Kyleigh glanced back at the Doctor. "But this is an alien planet. I'm actually on a different planet." She jumped up and down as she said the last part. An alien walked by, it was green with four arms. "Look at all the aliens."

"This is worse than taking a kid to a toy shop." The Doctor said.

Rose smiled. "Maybe one day we should take Kyleigh to a toy shop."

"There are too many distractions in a toy shop. We would lose her and probably never find her.

Rose laughed.

"What's this do?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor and Rose turned just in time to see Kyleigh push a big red button on the base of a model of a mountain. An eruption of lava spilled from the top, rolling down the sides and into a drain at the bottom. Some of the lava flew to where the Doctor was standing; he stepped away.

"This is a model of a volcano." The man next to the volcano model said. "The lava isn't real, but it gets just as hot as real lava."

"Cool." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor walked over to Kyleigh. "Next time there is a big red button, don't push it."

Kyleigh gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir. Next time a big red button appears all urges shall be resisted."

The Doctor just shook his head. He then began walking with Rose and Kyleigh following.

"This planet is one of the first to be inhabited by humans." The Doctor said.

"What made humans decide to do that?" Kyleigh asked. "They just decide it was time to explore to see what's out there? Like Star Trek? To boldly go where no one has gone before?"

"The Earth got roasted by the sun." Rose said.

"Oh. Not as cheery as I thought."

"The Doctor took me to see it too. First place he took me to."

"Wait, wait, wait." Kyleigh turned to the Doctor. "All of time and space and the first place you take her to is to see her own planet burn? Surprised she didn't want to go back home after that."

"Ky…"

"All right, sorry. Hey, wait." Kyleigh stopped walking, making the other two stop and look at her. "Not all planets are safe for humans, right? I mean, they can't all have air we can breathe. Do you check the air before we leave the TARDIS? Or do you just let us walk out and hope we can breathe?"

"You think I would really do that?" The Doctor asked.

Kyleigh smiled. "No." She then continued walking.

"I don't get her sometimes."

"It's all right. I've known her for years and even I don't get her sometimes."

"What's this?" Kyleigh asked.

"I'm almost afraid to look, but I'm curious what she found this time." The Doctor said. He turned around to see Kyleigh poking something that looked like tentacles coming out of a pot. It was a mix of blue and purple.

"You know, one of these days you are going to poke something and it's going to bite. Or it could be poisonous."

Kyleigh stopped poking it and looked at the Doctor. "Is it poisonous? Am I going to die?"

"No, this plant is completely harmless. It actually helps with headaches. You place a piece of the plant on your forehead and it eases headaches."

"That's so awesome."

The three of them continued looking around, with Kyleigh sometimes wandering away to look – or poke – at something that she was curious about. Occasionally, Rose would grab Kyleigh before she got too far and they lost her. Other times both Kyleigh and Rose would get distracted by what they saw.

The Doctor just shook his head. He had a feeling keeping track of those two will be a lot of work.

At one point the Doctor was explaining about something and when he turned Kyleigh and Rose had once again gone off. It didn't take him long to find them. They were by a café that was giving away free samples of different kinds of food and drink. As the Doctor walked up to them, Rose was trying to convince Kyleigh to try one of the drinks.

"We'll do it together." Rose said.

"All right." Kyleigh picked up the drink.

Rose counted to three, then the two of them gulped down the green liquid. Rose had a thoughtful look on her face while Kyleigh made a disgusted look.

"That's actually not bad." Rose said.

"Are you serious? That's gross."

Curious, the Doctor pointed to a cup with the same green liquid. "This is the one you tried?"

Rose nodded. The Doctor picked up the cup and took a sip.

"Tastes like asparagus." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh made a face. "Ew. Why would anyone want to drink asparagus?"

"Food in liquid form was first created to help those who couldn't eat solid food. Others tried it and thought it was a good idea and now it has become popular."

"I don't even like solid asparagus. Let's move on."

They only walked a few steps before something bumped into Rose's leg. She looked down and saw a ball. She kneeled to pick it up as a little girl came up to her.

"Is this yours?" Rose asked.

The kid nodded.

"Here you go." Rose held out the ball.

The kid took the ball and opened her mouth, probably to say thank you, but she sneezed instead right in Rose's face.

"That's gross. You're supposed to cover your mouth when you sneeze." Kyleigh said.

Rose elbowed her in the leg. "Don't be rude."

"Sorry."

The girl wiped her nose with her sleeve. She then smiled at Rose. "Thank you."

Rose smiled back. "You're welcome."

They continued on, but it wasn't long before the Doctor stopped and glanced around.

"Something seems off."

Kyleigh also glanced around. She didn't see any problems. There were many different aliens walking about along with humans. There were no fights or wild accusations. Everyone was just going about their day.

She looked over at Rose. "Do you know what he means?"

Rose shrugged.

"Look at everyone. I mean really look at them." The Doctor said.

Rose and Kyleigh looked around.

"Oh! Why didn't I notice before?" Rose said.

"Oh? Someone want to clue me in?" Kyleigh asked.

"Some of the humans are wearing medical masks." The Doctor explained. "And look at the aliens. Most of them are making a point to stay away from the humans."

"So, is there a virus or something going around? That's why people usually wear medical masks, right?" Kyleigh glanced back to where the TARDIS was. "Should we maybe go somewhere," Kyleigh looked back to where Rose and the Doctor were, but saw them walking away. "else? I hate when they do that." She then started after them.

Kyleigh had an idea on where they might be going. Just up ahead were two men. One was holding a metal case with his arms protectively around it. They seemed to be arguing about something while the other man was waving his arms around.

"Hello." The Doctor said. "I don't mean to interrupt but-"

"Then don't." The man without the case said.

"Something is going on here and I think you know what it is."

"What makes you think we know anything?"

"Well for starters, you two have been looking around like you are hoping you won't be seen. And secondly, you are very protective of that case. Something tells me that has something to do with what's going on."

"Who are you to make such claims?" The man without the case said.

"I'm the Doctor. And this is Rose and Kyleigh."

The man with the case brightened. "A doctor? He can help us."

The other man gave an annoyed sigh, but nodded. "Fine, but we can't talk here. Follow us."

"I'm Trent by the way. And this grumpy old coot is Boyd."

"Enough talk." Boyd said. "We don't need to draw attention to ourselves."

Kyleigh was curious on what was going on. Why did they have to be secretive? This had to be more than a virus. No one would keep a virus a secret…would they?

They were walking out of the nice part of the city and were making their way towards the back. This part must be the poor part of the city, Kyleigh thought. Some of the buildings were worn down and seemed like they hadn't had maintenance in some time. There were people sitting on the ground. Many of them looked like they hadn't had a bath in months. Their clothes were also dirty with holes in some of them. Some were even too small for the people.

"This is where the sick come." Trent said. "Most of them are too poor to afford health care."

After a few more minutes of walking they came to a building that seemed to be in better shape than the others they had passed. When they entered Kyleigh was shocked at what she saw.

Many cots were set up with people lying on them. There were more people than cots, however, and some people had to lie on the floor. A few people walked around, helping the others with whatever they needed like water or food. Some people were just talking to those who were lying down.

"Are all these people sick?" Rose asked.

"Yes." Trent answered. "And I fear many more will get sick."

"Do you know what's causing it?" The Doctor asked.

"Not yet. We only know that it only affects humans."

"Should we be worried?" Kyleigh asked as she glanced around.

"It's not airborne." Boyd said impatiently.

"I think I have something that might help. As a doctor, perhaps you can give me your opinion." Trent said.

"Happy to help." The Doctor said.

While the Doctor and Rose went off with Trent, Kyleigh stood as she looked around. There were so many sick people. She wondered if they would be able to help them.

"Is Kyleigh all right?" The Doctor asked.

Rose glanced back at Kyleigh, then back at the Doctor. "She's fine."

"She's not afraid of sick people, is she?"

"No. She's just…never mind. She's fine."

The Doctor shrugged. He then turned his attention back to Trent. Trent opened the case. Inside were three vials of clear liquid, and a vial half filled with blood.

"This is a blood sample from one of the sick." Trent explained. "The other three vials are what we are hoping to be a cure, but we seem to be missing something. The second vial seemed to work. However, it just suppressed the symptoms for a few moments."

"I'll need to know what's in them." The Doctor said.

"Of course. Our lab is just back here."

The Doctor and Rose followed.

Kyleigh noticed Rose and the Doctor walking towards the back of the building so she went to follow. She was stopped when she heard a small voice say, "Excuse me, miss."

Kyleigh looked down at a small boy sitting in one of the cots. He couldn't have been any older than five."

"Yes?"

"I'm scared. My mum went home to grab something. Will you stay with me until she gets back?"

"Um…" Kyleigh glanced at where Rose had gone, then back down at the boy. "All right." She sat down.

"My name's Zephyr. What's yours?"

"Kyleigh."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thanks. I like your name too."

"Kyleigh, can you tell me a story?" Zephyr asked as he lied down.

"I don't know any stories."

"Didn't your mum tell you stories?"

"She died when I was young. If she did I don't remember."

"Who took care of you?"

"My aunt and uncle."

"Didn't they tell you stories?"

"No. They…they were too busy working to tell me stories." Kyleigh didn't say the real reason they didn't tell her stories. They wanted her to live in the real world and didn't think filling a child's head with fantasy would prepare her for the world. Occasionally, her aunt read her a story but it was rare.

"Make one up."

"Ok, let's see." Kyleigh thought for a moment. She told stories through her art so it shouldn't be that hard to tell a story with words. A smile appeared on her face as an idea came to her.

"Once there was this little girl who believed in life beyond her own planet. The galaxy was a big place so surely there had to be other life out there. Every night the little girl would stare up at the stars and wish with all her might that she could travel through space and find life somewhere. Years had passed and still she had not achieved her wish, but she never gave up. She could feel it that one day her wish would come true. One day, her wish finally came true. She met an alien who offered to show her the stars. That's a day the girl will never forget. That's the day her wish was finally fulfilled and she was able to travel the stars on a great adventure."

Kyleigh looked at Zephyr who had fallen asleep. She didn't want to leave just in case he woke up so she stayed. It was only a few minutes before his mother returned. She thanked Kyleigh for keeping her son company. Kyleigh then stood and headed to where Rose and the Doctor went to. She only took a few steps before she glanced back. The mother put a teddy bear next to Zephyr and was stroking his hair. Kyleigh turned and continued on.

"Hey, you all right?" Rose asked when Kyleigh walked in.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just keeping a boy company until his mum came back. So, what did I miss?"

"The Doctor and Trent are working on the cure for this sickness. So far only humans are getting sick so they are thinking aliens can't get it."

Kyleigh nodded. "Do we know why Trent and Boyd were arguing before?" Kyleigh whispered so only Rose could hear.

"No. I'm sure it has something to do with what's happening, but they aren't saying."

"All right, let's try this one." Trent said.

"Are you sure about this?" Boyd asked. "Your last few haven't exactly worked."

"No, I'm not sure. But we will never find a cure if we don't experiment and try."

"While you use innocent people as your test subjects?" Boyd raised his voice.

Trent also raised his voice "All vaccines have to be tested. We never know if they work until we try. And if they don't work then we keep trying until it does."

"All right, that's enough." The Doctor said. "We just need to try that and see if it works. You can argue later."

Boyd huffed as he left the room. Trent just shook his head as grabbed the vial and a syringe then made his way out of the room.

"Something definitely happened between those two. You can feel the tension between them." Kyleigh said.

When they walked into the other room, Trent had already found a volunteer for the trial vaccine. One he injected the man, Trent stood.

"Now we wait."

* * *

**I didn't write out the Doctor helping Trent with the cure because I don't know much about all the science and medical stuff so I didn't want to get anything wrong and sound dumb haha. Anyway, I hope you all still enjoyed this part.**


	19. Chapter 19

It had only been an hour since the test cure was administered and Kyleigh was feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. She had never been around so many sick people in one place before. She did her best to help anyone who needed water, an extra blanket or a pillow. A few times someone wanted Kyleigh to sit with them because they didn't want to be alone. She sat with them for a few minutes before she made an excuse to leave.

Kyleigh stood near the back of the room, shifting from side to side. Rose was sitting by a teenager's bedside as she wiped his forehead with a cold wash cloth. The Doctor was talking to Trent, probably about the vaccine and the chances that it might work.

Finally, Kyleigh slipped out a side door. It led to an alleyway. She glanced around and when she saw that no one was around she sat on the ground.

She didn't know why she had such a problem. It's not like her aunt and uncle never showed her affection. Of course, more often than not they would just tell her to walk it off whenever she got hurt. How did it come so easily for Rose?

"You all right?"

Kyleigh glanced up and when she saw the Doctor she stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting some fresh air."

"You aren't afraid of getting sick, are you?"

"Of course I'm not." Kyleigh said a bit defensively. "It's just…" She trailed off; debating on whether to say what was really bothering her. She sighed. "It's just hard seeing so many people sick and not being able to help."

"I know. If this cure works then they can make more and have a fighting chance against this disease."

"But why only the humans?" Kyleigh asked, leaning against the wall. "I mean, it's not unusual for diseases to only affect a certain species. But this, there is just something that doesn't feel right."

"I agree. There's more going on. I just haven't figured out what that is yet."

"You're smart. You'll figure it out eventually."

"Glad one of us has confidence."

Kyleigh smiled.

They were interrupted when Trent rushed out the door. His look was frantic and when he caught sight of Kyleigh and the Doctor, Kyleigh noticed there was something else. There was sympathy in his eyes. Sympathy for them?

"You two better get in here." He said.

Kyleigh straightened up, fearing the vaccine didn't work.

"What is it? Did the vaccine fail?" The Doctor asked.

"It's Rose. She collapsed."

The Doctor and Kyleigh didn't wait to hear more. They both rushed inside. Trent led them to Rose, who was lying on a cot with her eyes closed.

Kyleigh kneeled down next to her and felt her forehead. "She's burning up."

"I'm fine." Rose said as she opened her eyes, swatting Kyleigh's hand away.

Kyleigh gave her a stern look. "You most certainly aren't fine. I don't have a thermometer, but I'm sure your temperature would warrant a hospital visit."

"Rose, when did you start feeling sick?" The Doctor asked.

"A while ago. I didn't want you to worry about me."

"If you weren't lying there sick I would slap you." Kyleigh said.

Rose managed a small smile. "I'm sure you would."

"Why didn't you say anything?" The Doctor asked.

"What good would that have done?"

"How much longer until we know if that vaccine works?" The Doctor asked Trent.

"It could be another few hours or even days. I'm sorry, but I don't have an exact answer for you."

"We need to check that patient's progress now." The Doctor then made his way to the patient with Trent following.

"I'm mad at you, you know? For not saying anything." Kyleigh said.

"You would have kept quiet too."

"True."

Kyleigh glanced over to where the Doctor and Trent were examining the patient they had administered the test cure to; Ezra was his name. They were too far away for her to hear what they were saying. And both were keeping their faces neutral so she couldn't even figure out what was going on by their expressions.

How would Kyleigh explain to Jackie that Rose died from a disease on an alien planet? Not only would Jackie slap the Doctor, but she would probably slap Kyleigh as well. They were supposed to be keeping each other safe. Of course, there isn't much to protect oneself against a disease that has no vaccine. They all knew they were taking a risk just being here.

And Kyleigh was too wrapped up in what she was going through that she wasn't even paying attention to what was happening to Rose. She should have noticed sooner. But then what? It's not like Kyleigh could have made Rose any better. That was true, but she still should have noticed something was wrong.

"I think it was that little girl." Rose said, breaking Kyleigh from her thoughts.

Kyleigh glanced at Rose. "What?"

"The little girl who coughed on me. She was sick. I saw her parents bring her in a while ago."

"Doesn't it take a few days after you're exposed to get sick?"

"Trent mentioned that the disease seemed to be getting stronger."

"So if it doesn't take that long to get sick after you've been exposed, then-"

"Don't." Rose interrupted. "Don't even think like that. That cure will work and everyone will be fine."

Kyleigh just stared at Rose. She wanted to believe that it would work, but how long does Rose have? Trent said it could be days before they find out if this vaccine is really a cure. What if Rose didn't have days? What if she didn't even have a day?

Kyleigh shook her head. Stop thinking like that. Nothing will happen to Rose. Kyleigh looked over and saw the Doctor and Trent were still by the patient's bedside. She couldn't wait anymore. She turned to Rose to tell her she was going to see what was going on, but Rose had fallen asleep.

Kyleigh then stood and made her way to the other two.

"What's going on?" Kyleigh braced herself for the bad news.

Trent looked at her with a smile on his face. "The vaccine seems to be working. His fever has gone down and his cough isn't as strong. I'm sure this one will work."

"That's great. Now you can start making more."

Trent frowned. "There is a problem."

_Of course there is. It just couldn't be that easy. _Kyleigh thought.

"One of the ingredients needed for the vaccine is near the mountains to the west."

"So?"

"Those mountains are dangerous. Evil creatures dwell there. Only few who have ventured there made it back alive. Those few brought back a flower that grows there. We learned that this flower has medicinal uses. I had one so I thought I would try it to make a vaccine."

"Can't the last person who went just go again? He survived once, he can survive again. Right?"

Trent shook his head. "The last person who went was my son. That was a month ago. I fear he was killed. Before him was Boyd's son. He died of the disease. Although, Boyd blames me since I tried a vaccine on his son."

"Someone has to get that flower. I'll go." The Doctor said.

"You don't know the lands. You will get lost."

"I'm pretty sure I can find mountains in the west."

"But you don't know what flower you're looking for."

"Then show me a picture. Since you have studied this plant a little I'm sure someone must have drawn it."

Trent sighed. Seeing that the Doctor wouldn't give in he nodded. "All right. It will be dark soon, though, so you should wait until morning." Trent walked off.

"Are we sure this vaccine is the right one?" Kyleigh asked. "Trent said before that one of the vaccines he tried only suppressed the symptoms for a few hours."

"I'm sure this one will work."

Morning couldn't come soon enough. Every time Rose coughed Kyleigh would panic and each time either Rose or the Doctor would assure Kyleigh that Rose was fine. Though, Kyleigh could see the worry in the Doctor's eyes and wondered if he believed that Rose would be fine.

The Doctor said Kyleigh should sleep, but she wasn't tired. How could she sleep when her best friend was lying here sick? No, she would stay awake and help with whatever she could.

She passed the time with telling stories from their childhood. Each time one of them was sick they would bring the other soup and lots of chocolate.

"Chocolate doesn't help when you're sick." The Doctor said.

"Maybe not, but it still helped us feel better." Kyleigh said.

A few minutes later Trent came over with a bucket. "Ezra's fever is still down. I'm sure we will see more improvements by the morning."

"Good to hear." The Doctor said.

"What's with the bucket?" Kyleigh asked.

"Oh, we need more water."

"I'll get it." Kyleigh stood.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"All right. The well is in the back just a little ways down."

Kyleigh took the bucket from Trent. "Ok. I'll back soon with water." She then left.

Kyleigh was actually glad to have something to do. Waiting was like torture. Sure, this would only take a few minutes but it was something. And doing this at least she didn't feel completely helpless.

It didn't take her long to find the well. It was just a straight shot once she walked out the back door. She filled the bucket and was about to head back when something caught her attention. Two people were talking. She was going to ignore them, but what they said made her stop.

"The disease isn't spreading fast enough." One voice said.

The disease wasn't spreading fast enough? So someone did start this. But why?

"That whole building is full of sick humans." A second voice said.

"Yes, but there are plenty more humans still walking about. And that doctor is working on a cure. We need to make the virus stronger."

"Even if he finds a cure, there's no way he will be able to make enough to cure everyone."

"Why take that chance?"

Kyleigh gasped, and then quickly covered her mouth. She had to let the Doctor know. Her mind was telling her to move, but her legs stood frozen. What if they heard her when she took off? She would have to take that chance. This was important. Ok, she told herself, start moving.

Kyleigh turned, but was greeted by an alien. He was taller than her with a big, hairy chin. His skin was a dark purple.

"Going somewhere?" He asked.

Kyleigh turned around. The other two came around the corner.

"What's going on?"

"Found this human listening in." The alien grabbed her arm, making her drop the bucket of water.

"I…I didn't hear anything." Kyleigh wished that came out like she wasn't afraid.

"Can't take the chance you overheard something you weren't supposed to."

Kyleigh was outnumbered. What was she to do? There was no way anyone would hear her if she screamed. And if she ran they would probably catch her before she made it halfway to the building.

Before she could decide on what she was going to do, she was hit in the back of the head and everything went black.

* * *

The Doctor was sitting next to Rose, trying to wait. A few times he stood up and paced around just so he had something to do. He couldn't wait until morning. That was still hours away. He would leave as soon as Kyleigh got back.

Speaking of Kyleigh, she was acting strange. It almost seemed like she had a problem comforting people. And it wasn't the first time he noticed. Back in ancient Greece when Eurydice was crying, Kyleigh was standing to the side. She didn't say anything or put a comforting hand on her like people normally do. He would have to ask about that. If she ever came back.

The Doctor glanced to the back of the building where she had gone off. She should have been back by now. It's been a good fifteen minutes.

He made his way to the back, out the door, and down to the well. He expected to find Kyleigh just sitting as she worried about Rose, but what he found wasn't what he was expecting…or it was more like what he didn't find. Kyleigh was nowhere around the well.

The Doctor noticed the bucket. Kyleigh didn't place it there. She was either startled or someone had grabbed her and the bucket fell from her grip. Maybe both. Someone had taken her, but why?

"I hope this isn't going to be a habit of hers."

* * *

**Guest: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you are enjoying it so far.**


	20. Chapter 20

Kyleigh woke to a pounding headache. Images of ancient Greece flashed in her head. She quickly sat up, which proved to be a bad idea when her head pounded more. Once her eyes adjusted she glanced around at her surroundings. The area was dimly lit. Panic set in when she noticed bars in front of her.

Her first reaction was to call for help, but she quickly decided against it. She didn't want to let the aliens know she was awake. Now, how was she going to get out of this?

"Good to see you awake."

Kyleigh jumped, not expecting anyone else to be in here. She glanced across from her cell and into the other cell. Sitting near the bars was a man who didn't appear much older than Kyleigh. He had messy black hair and his clothes looked like they hadn't been clean in a while.

Kyleigh glanced around as if an alien would walk in on them talking and punish them.

"Don't worry about the Tuells. They won't check on us for a little bit. I'm Conner."

Tuells? So that's what the aliens were called.

"Kyleigh."

"A pretty name for a pretty girl."

"Um, thanks." It came out more of a question.

Conner chuckled.

"So, how long have you been here?" Kyleigh asked, sitting closer to the bars.

"I've lost count after a month. I came here to get the flower needed for a vaccine. Well, at least I hope it's a vaccine."

"Is you're father Trent, by chance."

"How did you know?"

"I met him. My friends and I were helping him…well, my friends mostly."

"How did you get caught?"

"I overheard some of the aliens talking about how they created the virus to kill the humans."

Conner was silent, which didn't make Kyleigh feel better.

"Conner, why are they keeping us alive?"

"They are trying to create a virus that will kill humans quickly. The humans they capture are used as test subjects."

"I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you still alive? You've been here for about a month, right?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah. They need human DNA so they can make this virus. I have a feeling my usefulness is running out though."

"There has to be a way out of here." Kyleigh said as she stood to inspect the bars.

"If there was, I would have found it by now."

Kyleigh kicked the bars. "This is why I need a sonic screwdriver."

Conner raised an eyebrow. "A what now?"

"It's something a friend of mine has. It's very useful." Kyleigh sat back on the ground with a sigh. "Sometimes I wish I never left home."

"Where's home?"

"Earth."

"One of those planets that is like Earth? Or are named like New Earth?"

"No, I'm from the real Earth."

Conner gave her a confused look.

"It's…" Kyleigh tailed off, not sure if she should say that her friend had a time machine. He probably wouldn't believe her anyway. "It's complicated."

"I've always dreamed of seeing the real Earth. My family has books that have pictures of the Earth. Everything looked so beautiful. I wish I could have seen it."

"Maybe one day you can."

"How?"

Before Kyleigh could answer, a door opened and in walked two of the aliens.

"All right you two, time to go."

One of the aliens unlocked Conner's cell while the other went to Kyleigh's cell. The Tuell roughly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

"Leave her alone." Conner said.

"No human will be left alive once we're done."

Kyleigh was truly frightened. Her best friend was dying, she was walking closer to death, and the Doctor had no idea where she was. Kyleigh knew that there would be dangers while travelling with the Doctor, but she never thought she would wish to be back home.

As the two of them were being led, Kyleigh glanced around. There had to be a way out of here somehow. Well, this would be a challenge. Kyleigh realized they were in a cave. She was having a hard time figuring a way out.

After a few more minutes of walking, they stopped in a bigger part of the cave. It appeared the aliens made a lab in this part. There were tables set up with different equipment such as beakers, microscopes, and syringes. Kyleigh shuddered when she saw the syringes.

The Tuell who had Kyleigh let her go to join a group who were gathered by one of the tables. They spoke in low voices. Once they were done, they turned to look at Kyleigh and Conner.

"We're ready to test the virus to see if it's air-borne now."

There was no way she was getting out of this one.

* * *

"You can't do that." Trent said as he followed the Doctor. "You don't even know if that's where your friend is."

"No, but I have a feeling that whatever is going on starts in those mountains."

"And how do you propose to get there? It takes at least two days to walk there."

"I never said I was walking."

The Doctor made his way to Rose and kneeled down beside her.

"Did you find her?" Rose asked.

"No, but I have an idea of where she might be."

"Is this going to become a habit of hers?"

"I hope not."

Rose laughed, which turned to a cough.

"Don't you worry. I'll bring her back…again." The Doctor turned his attention to Trent. "Take care of her."

"Of course." Trent said.

The Doctor made his way back to the TARDIS, and set the coordinates for the mountains. He wasn't sure what to expect when he stepped outside, but he wasn't expecting this. Compared to the surroundings of the city, which was green, the area by the mountains was a desert. Glancing around, the Doctor didn't see any sign of a flower but he did see an entrance to the mountain…it just happened to be a few feet above him.

"Things just can't be easy." He then began to climb.

Luckily, it didn't take him long to climb to the entrance. The Doctor was just starting to wonder how he was going to see in the darkened cave, but when he walked in he saw there were torches bordering the wall of the cave.

"Well, that will make things easier."

As he walked through the cave, he kept on alert for anything that might jump out. Trent said there were evil creatures here, but so far there was nothing. Maybe those stories were made up to keep people from coming to the mountains. Why they would do that the Doctor had no idea.

The Doctor rounded a corner and quickly stopped when he saw a gap in the ground; a hissing sound was coming from within. He glanced in, seeing a pit of snakes. If it weren't for the one yellow spot on their black bodies, the Doctor wouldn't have seen them.

He looked around, and not seeing any other way across decided to jump. He took a few steps back, then ran and leaped over the gap. The Doctor almost lost his balance as he landed close to the edge, but he was able to stable himself.

The Doctor took one last look at the snake, and then continued on.

* * *

Kyleigh didn't want to die, but there was no way out of this. If they broke the vial and the virus was successful at being air-borne then she and Conner would die. If they tried to escape then the aliens would catch them and most likely kill them. Neither option was good.

The alien holding the vial began to open it.

"Wait, wait, wait." Conner said. "We could still be useful."

"I'm afraid your usefulness has run out."

"What if this doesn't work? Won't you need more DNA to figure it out?"

The Tuell gave a thoughtful look. He then shrugged. "If we do I guess we'll just have to capture more humans."

_So much for that plan. _Kyleigh thought.

"I didn't want to have to do this." Conner said. "I was hoping we could have settled this peacefully."

Before any of the Tuells could ask what he was talking about, Conner elbowed the one holding him. He picked up a rock and hit the alien on the head. He then grabbed Kyleigh's hand and began to run. The one who had the vial threw it in their direction. It landed just a few feet from them and broke. Kyleigh glanced at it with fearful eyes. She was sure they were going to die now.

"Should we go after them?"

"No, let them go. The virus will kill them soon enough."

The two of them didn't stop running until they were sure they weren't being followed. Kyleigh sat on the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Once she could breathe again she said, "I'm going to die on an alien planet in a cave and no one will know."

"We aren't going to die."

"You can't know that. The virus broke right next to us."

Conner sat next to her. "Well, I guess the only thing to do is wait and see."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Tell me more about Earth."

Kyleigh was silent. She could only think about dying. There was still so much she wanted to do and now she may never get to do any of them. Well, if this was going to be her last few moments alive then she would like to live them thinking about her home. She began telling Conner everything that came to mind about planet Earth.


	21. Chapter 21

It had been thirty minutes since the humans had ran off. The Tuell in charge was sure the virus worked and was now working on a bigger dose to unleash on the rest of the humans. The other Tuells weren't so sure the virus worked. Someone should find out. A group of them were talking about who should tell the leader, Sovaz, they were going to check to see if the humans were dead.

Finally, one stood and spoke up. "I'm going to see if I can find the humans and see if they are dead."

Sovaz turned to look at him. At first he said nothing, just stared. The Tuell would not back down.

Finally, Sovaz sighed. "Fine, if you must. But I am confident the virus worked. You will find them dead." He then turned back to his work.

The Tuell then walked off in the direction the humans went.

* * *

"My favorite place is this hill that overlooks the city. One of my favorite memories of my parents was going to that hill and watching the sunset."

"Earth sounds amazing." Conner said.

Kyleigh nodded.

"So, your parents, they're ok with you travelling with this Doctor?"

"I'm sure they would be. They died when I was young."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Well, I've been talking about the Earth for a while. How long has it been?"

"Kind of hard to tell in this dimly lit cave, but I would say about thirty minutes. Maybe a little more than that. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, actually."

"Me, too." Conner stood up. "I guess their air-borne virus isn't air-borne at all." Conner held out his hand. Kyleigh took it as he helped her up.

"Which is good for us."

Conner frowned. "Unless it's really slow acting."

Kyleigh hit him. "Don't even joke about that." It was then she realized they were still holding hands; she quickly let go.

"Sorry. Now, to find a way out of here. We can't go back the way we came so," Conner took one of the torches from the cave wall. "we'll have to venture this way."

"What if that way leads to a dead end? What if there's a hole in the floor and we don't see it in time and we fall and break our necks or something?"

Conner glanced at her. "Do you always see the negative of things?"

Kyleigh didn't answer.

"You need to see the bright side of things. Everything will be all right. I promise."

Kyleigh just nodded. She stayed close to Conner, not wanting to get separated. The way they were going was a darker part of the cave. Kyleigh took a few steps into the darkness before she stopped and went back to where there was more light. Conner turned to her curiously.

"You aren't afraid of the dark, are you?"

"No. No, I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm just afraid of what's in the dark."

"I have a torch so we'll be able to see. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Kyleigh knew she was being silly. Besides, they wouldn't get out of this cave at all if they stayed where they were. She went to take a step, but stopped mid-step when the sound of footsteps echoed around them. Neither one of them had moved so who was coming?

Conner grabbed Kyleigh and pushed her behind him. What were they going to do? They had nothing to defend themselves with. They could run, but even that was dangerous. Kyleigh glanced down and saw a rock so she quickly picked it up. At least it would do some damage.

Kyleigh raised the rock just as a Tuell came around the corner. He put up his hands in surrender as soon as he saw Kyleigh held a rock.

"I'm not here to hurt you. Please, just hear me out."

"Why should we listen to anything you say?" Conner asked.

"Please."

"Conner, I'm sure if he wanted to hurt us he would have by now. Maybe we should hear what he has to say."

Conner glanced at her, then back at the Tuell. "Fine."

"My name is Vomere. I am not like the others. I don't want to kill the humans."

Conner raised an eyebrow. "And you expect us to believe that?"

"No, but it's the truth. The air-borne virus didn't work because I tampered with it. I want to save the humans."

"It could be a trap." Conner said to Kyleigh.

"Weren't you just telling me a little bit ago that I need to start seeing the bright side of things? I think we should give him the benefit of a doubt."

Conner stared at Vomere for a minute before nodding. "All right."

"Thank you." Vomere said.

"So…what now?" Kyleigh asked.

"I know the way out."

"Wait. We need the flower that grows around this mountain."

"Sovaz had us pull up all the flowers."

Kyleigh looked down as all her hope left.

"But I kept some."

Kyleigh glanced up at him. "Can you take us to them?"

"Sure." Vomere led the way as Kyleigh and Conner followed. "Sovaz saw some of the humans picking the flowers and figured they might be important. I thought I would save some just in case."

_Everything just might turn out ok. _Kyleigh thought.

* * *

The Doctor had been walking through the cave for a while and aside from the pit of snakes he had not come across anything, evil or otherwise. He was just realizing how big this cave was when he came upon the second fork in the road. Just like the last one he came to, there was one side lined with torches on the wall.

Why would someone take the time to line the cave walls with torches? It would save them a lot of effort to just carry a torch with them. Unless…

The Doctor glanced down the path without the torches. He was sure he had seen something, but maybe he imagined it. Shrugging, the Doctor continued on.

He followed the torches for a bit longer until he came to a more open part of the cave. The first thing the Doctor noticed was the aliens gathered there. The second thing he noticed was what appeared to be a make-shift lab. There could be a reasonable explanation for why a group of aliens were gathered in a cave with different mixtures on a table. Or, the Doctor was right and whatever is going on started here.

Glancing around, he saw no sign of Kyleigh. Maybe she wasn't here. Well, one way to find out what was going on was to make his presence known.

"Hello there." The Doctor said as he walked up to the group of aliens.

They all turned to look at him.

"How did you get in here?"

"I walked in. So, what you got going on here?" The Doctor walked closer to the table with the beakers of liquid.

"That is none of your business." One of the aliens said, blocking the Doctor from getting any closer to the table.

"People are getting sick and dying so I'm making it my business."

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. Who are you?"

"I am Sovaz. And you, Doctor, are about to join those humans you are trying to save. I've already killed the two who were here."

The Doctor's mind instantly went to Kyleigh. Was she really dead? How would he tell Rose that he wasn't able to save her best friend?

He didn't have time to think about anything else as Sovaz threw a vial at the Doctor's feet.

"Now die, Doctor." Sovaz laughed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's not going to work."

"Of course it is. I've tested it."

"Maybe. But it's not going to work on me because I'm not human."

"You look human."

"They just look Time Lord. Now, what did you do with my friend?"

"You'll meet your friend soon enough. Kill him."

The Tuells closed in on the Doctor. "Well, I would love to stay, but I have places I need to be and people to see." With that, the Doctor turned and started running.

This was a fine mess he had gotten himself into. The Doctor wasn't sure what he was going to find here, but he had no idea that a group of aliens would be making a virus to kill the humans. Luckily the vaccine Trent made seemed to be working. They just need more flowers, the flowers he had no idea where to find.

Then there was Kyleigh. He wasn't going to believe she was dead until he found a body. Kyleigh was smart so he was sure she was around here somewhere.

The Doctor stopped when he ran to part of the cave without any torches. He turned around and noticed the Tuells weren't coming any closer. The fear on their faces was clear, but what were they afraid of?

"Well, come on, then. What are you waiting for?" The Doctor asked.

None of the aliens made a move towards him. They talked amongst themselves, asking who would go. None of them volunteered. In the end, they decided to leave him, saying he was as good as dead anyway. The group then turned and left.

The Doctor stared after them with much confusion. What was it about the dark that had them so afraid? Well, now that he wasn't being chased he could look for Kyleigh. The Doctor grabbed a torch from the wall and continued on.

* * *

Kyleigh listened as Vomere explained why he was doing all this. He had no qualms with the humans and enjoyed their company very much. When he found out what some of the Tuells were doing he convinced them he wanted the humans gone as well. Vomere got in so he could stop this.

"I wasn't able to stop the virus from being spread, but I was able to stop it from being air-borne." Vomere explained.

"So we're safe, right?" Kyleigh asked. "We aren't infected?"

"You're safe."

"But now you're cover is blown." Conner said. "I'm sure Sovaz has noticed your long absence. He'll be wondering why you haven't come back yet."

"I wouldn't have stayed undercover for much longer. Some of the others were getting suspicious of me. I guess I was asking too many questions."

Kyleigh stopped, glancing around. The other two stopped when they noticed she was no longer walking with them.

"What's wrong?" Conner asked.

"I thought I heard something."

"Don't wander too far in the dark." Vomere said.

Kyleigh looked at him. "Why? What's in the dark?"

"Let's hope you never find out."

The three of them continued on their way. Conner and Vomere talked about the different things that were on their planet. There was another city that was next to a beautiful waterfall and at night lights of different colors shined bright throughout the city. There was a festival held once a year celebrating the city's founding. The festival lasts for days and there is much food, drinks, and games.

"I've always wanted to go. The festival is starting in just a few weeks." Conner said.

"Maybe we could go there some time." Kyleigh said. "I show you Earth and you show me this city. It sounds wonderful."

"Yeah, it would be wonderful." Conner smiled at her.

Kyleigh smiled back.

"Hey lovers, we're here." Vomere said.

Kyleigh blushed as she turned her attention straight ahead.

Kyleigh was amazed at what she saw. When Vomere said he saved some of the flowers she was thinking maybe about ten, no more than twenty at least. Here, she was sure there were over one hundred. They weren't just picked and thrown on the ground either. They were replanted in pots.

"Vomere, I think you just saved the humans." Kyleigh said.

* * *

**Guest: Thanks for your lovely review. I'm glad you are still enjoying the story. Reviews are much appreciated and they keep my motivation up. ^_^ **


	22. Chapter 22

Vomere had given both Kyleigh and Conner bags so they could put the flowers in. Kyleigh couldn't help but smile as she thought about Trent making the cure and everyone would be all right.

She frowned when a thought hit her. "How are we going to get out of here? If we go back the way we came the other Tuells will capture us. Vomere, is there another way out?"

"There is, but it's just as dangerous."

"Well, we can't stay here forever. We'll have to chance it." Conner said as he closed his bag.

Kyleigh didn't deny that she was afraid. Vomere was clearly afraid of what was hiding in the dark. The sooner they get out of this cave the happier Kyleigh would be.

Vomere led them around a corner to reveal another tunnel. There were no torches lining the cave wall.

"If the caves are so dangerous why did the Tuells decide to make the virus here?" Kyleigh asked.

"With what lives in these caves Sovaz thought it would be a good idea because no human would come here."

"Don't worry, Kyleigh, I'll be here to protect you." Conner said as he gave a smile.

Kyleigh smiled back. "My hero."

They three of them were about to head off when Vomere looked around the corner to where they had entered.

"What's wrong?" Kyleigh asked.

"Someone's coming."

"I don't hear anything."

Vomere glanced at her. "Tuells have excellent hearing." He turned his attention back to the entrance.

Conner grabbed Kyleigh's hand, prepared to make a run for it if they had to. Kyleigh's heart was pounding. Anything could come through there. It could be the other Tuells were tired of waiting for Vomere and decided to see what was taking him so long. Or it could be the thing that lives in the caves that has Vomere scared. Or it could be…

"Doctor?" Kyleigh was not expecting that.

"Kyleigh." The Doctor said. He then noticed the other two. "Who are they?"

"It's ok. They're on our side."

"Even that one?" The Doctor pointed to Vomere.

"Yes, even that one. Vomere is actually the reason why the virus isn't air-borne. And he saved the flowers we need to make the cure."

The Doctor looked impressed. "Well, all right then. Now, does he have another way out of here?"

The four of them were soon walking down the tunnel Vomere said would lead them out. The Doctor, Vomere, and Conner we carrying torches. Kyleigh's eyes darted around, looking for any sign of what could be hiding in the dark. A few minutes had gone by and still there was nothing. Maybe the light from the torches was keeping it away. Or maybe there wasn't anything here and everyone is just scared of a ghost story.

Kyleigh almost had herself convinced that it was all just a ghost story when she heard a low growl.

"Please tell me that was someone's stomach."

"I could, but then I'd be lying." Conner said.

"It's close." Vomere said.

"What's close? Why is everyone afraid of the dark?" The Doctor asked.

"It's what's in the dark that frightens us. They are called Piradians."

"Piradians? I thought they were extinct?" Conner asked.

"No. They are very much alive."

Conner looked a little frightened while Kyleigh and the Doctor just stared at Vomere with blank looks.

"What is a piradian?" Kyleigh asked.

Vomere looked at the pair with confusion. "You're kidding, right? Children make up stories about them to scare each other."

"We aren't from around here." The Doctor said.

"They live in the dark and are sensitive to light."

"That explains the torches."

"They are mindless creatures and kill for sport. Usually when they capture live food they keep it for a while, torturing it before finally killing it. It's best to make our way out of this cave as fast as we can before they attack."

The group continued on, all keeping an eye out for the creatures. Kyleigh tried to convince herself that they would be safe since they had the torches, but a voice in her head was telling her that they would all die. She shook her head, trying not to listen to that voice.

Conner stayed close to her asking every once in a while if she was all right. Of course she said she was fine. It wasn't like he could do anything to ease her fear. Though, being close to her did help.

A growl echoed around them, making them all stop in their tracks.

"Did that come from behind us or in front of us?" Kyleigh asked.

"I think both." Vomere answered.

"Vomere, how much further until we get out of here?" The Doctor asked.

"Not too much further. If we make a run for it we might make it."

"Might? I don't like might." Kyleigh said.

"We'll make it." Conner said.

Kyleigh smiled. "Such an optimist."

"All right, Vomere, you lead and we'll follow." The Doctor said.

"On three. One…"

Kyleigh's heart pounded against her chest.

"…two…"

How many creatures were in this cave?

"…three…"

As they ran Kyleigh couldn't help picturing many terrifying scenarios. Her imagination was running wild with what these creatures look like.

Scurrying came from above, blowing out their lights as it went by. Darkness surrounded them.

"I thought you said they were sensitive to light?" Kyleigh asked.

"They are, but I don't think three torches is enough light to keep them away." Vomere said.

"Well then, don't just stand there. Keep running." The Doctor said. Kyleigh didn't even notice they had stopped.

Kyleigh didn't need to be told twice. She didn't know where everyone was. There was someone beside her – probably Conner – and someone in front of her. There might have been two people in front of her.

One of the drawbacks about running in the dark was Kyleigh couldn't see where she was going. As she fell all she could think about was getting grabbed by one of those creatures. She flinched when something grabbed her hand, but relaxed when she heard Conner. He helped her up and together they kept going.

Relief washed over Kyleigh when she saw light up ahead. Just when she thought they would be all right she got pulled back. Glancing back, she could make out the fear in Conner's eyes.

"Let go." He said.

"I won't!" Kyleigh said as she tried to pull him.

"I'm not going to let them take you too." Conner released his grip from Kyleigh's hand. Kyleigh tried to keep a hold of him, but she wasn't strong enough and as she fell back Conner was dragged away.

"Conner!"

Kyleigh took a step toward where Conner was taken, but she was grabbed from behind and pulled the rest of the way out of the cave.

"I can't leave Conner." Kyleigh said as she struggled.

"I'll get him."

Kyleigh stopped and looked at the Doctor.

"I'm coming with you."

"No. You stay here with Vomere."

"But-"

"I promise I'll bring him back, Kyleigh. Stay here where it's safe." The Doctor still had the torch he was carrying so he re-lit it then headed back in the cave.

"I'm sure the Doctor will bring Conner back safely." Vomere said.

Kyleigh said nothing as she kept her eyes glued to the cave. _Please come back safely. Both of you._

* * *

The Doctor didn't like this one bit. Before, they were being chased by quite a few piradians. Now there were none to be found. He was sure these creatures wouldn't be satisfied with just one person so why aren't they after him? And where did they all go?

It wasn't long before the Doctor saw a path that he didn't see the first time they passed this way. He turned and continued down. So far he hadn't seen any sign of Conner or the creatures. They were fast.

Light snoring could be heard, making the Doctor stop. Piradians snore? Either that, or there was something else in the cave.

The Doctor turned a corner. At first he couldn't see anything, but then he saw Conner sitting against the far wall. Conner noticed him and put up his hand to stop the Doctor from coming any closer. He then pointed to the ground.

Glancing down, the Doctor saw that this place wasn't as empty as he thought. The piradians were sleeping. They were black in color which was why the Doctor didn't notice them before. He looked back up at Conner, motioning for him to come.

Connor's eyes darted around. When he was sure the creatures were all sleeping he stood up. Slowly, Conner made his way towards the Doctor. It was a tricky thing to do. There were quite a few of them and they weren't small creatures.

Just a few more steps. Conner stopped as he kicked a rock. Both the Doctor and Conner held their breath as the rock rolled right into one of the piradians. The creature stirred. Conner was silently hoping it would stay asleep, but no such luck. His eyes opened and landed on Conner. The creature stood.

In the dim light the Doctor finally got a good look at the piradian. It looked like a giant scorpion minus the tail.

The creature growled, waking the others.

"You just couldn't make this easy, could you?" The Doctor asked.

"I like to live on the edge."

The two of them quickly turned and began running with the Doctor leading the way. Conner glanced up and saw a few of the creatures crawling on the ceiling; others were on the walls. They proved to be fast as some appeared in front of them making Conner and the Doctor stop in their tracks.

"Got any ideas on how to get out of this one?" Conner asked.

"I'm working on it."

"Work faster."

"I don't see you coming up with anything."

One of the creatures slashed its claw at the pair of them. They stepped back, just barely missing the claw. The Doctor waved the torch in front of them, but that didn't deter the creatures.

"It's not bright enough to get them to leave." Conner said.

"I realize that, thanks."

Conner yelled in pain as a creature came up from behind and scratched him on the arm.

The Doctor glanced at him. "You all right?"

"Yeah, it's just a scratch."

They were surrounded with no way to get around the creatures. How were they going to get out of this one?

"Close your eyes!" Someone shouted.

The Doctor was about to ask why when a small metal ball rolled close to them. He and Conner did what they were told as a bright light erupted from the ball.

* * *

Kyleigh was anxious as she stood outside the cave. It felt like the Doctor had been gone for hours, but she knew it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. Three torches weren't enough to keep the piradians away so there was no way one torch would help.

Vomere was pacing, just as worried as Kyleigh. Both felt helpless. There had to be a way they could go in and help the Doctor and Conner while keeping the piradians at bay. Vomere kicked a pile of rubble in frustration. He was about to turn around when something caught his eye.

"I don't believe it."

Kyleigh turned to him. "What is it?"

Vomere held up a small metal ball. "This is a light ball." He handed it to Kyleigh so she could see.

"Feels a little heavy to me."

Vomere took it back. "I mean this ball produces a bright light. It's what was used to get rid of the piradians."

"Was? So why don't you use them anymore?"

"Well for one thing, people thought the piradians went extinct so these stopped being produced. The other thing was that this light was so bright that it was dangerous."

"How dangerous?"

"Even if people close their eyes some still became blind. But, it might be our only option." Vomere twisted the ball and took off the top. "Or not. It's broken."

Kyleigh looked at the ball. Inside was a bunch of wires and buttons. "Can you fix it?"

"I can try. Even if I do I don't know how bright it will be. Looks like it's been sitting here for a while."

Kyleigh watched as Vomere messed with some of the buttons and reconnected some wires. After a few minutes he put the top back on.

"Does it work?"

"Only one way to find out."

Vomere headed for the cave entrance, Kyleigh right behind him. Before he entered he turned to Kyleigh. "Stay here." He then went inside.

"You better bring them both back safely."

Vomere didn't have a torch to guide his way so his trek was slow. A few times he had tripped. He kept his hand on the side of the wall. It wasn't long until he heard voices. He stopped as he listened. Vomere turned to where the voices were coming from.

"Close your eyes!" He yelled. He then pressed a button and rolled the ball, shutting his own eyes.

There was a flash of light making the creatures screech as they scurried away.

"Doctor? Conner? Are you all right?"

There was silence. Vomere started to fear the worst when a voice said, "Yeah, we're fine."

The Doctor and Conner soon came into view.

"Good to see you both alive. Now let's get out of here before they come back."

"Good idea." Conner said.

As soon as Conner stepped out of the cave he was wrapped in a hug by Kyleigh.

"I'm so glad you're all right." She said. When she pulled away she noticed the scratch on his arm. "You're hurt."

"It's all right. It looks worse than it is."

"I'm fine too." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh looked at him. "I'm glad you're safe too."

"We need to get back to the TARDIS and get these flowers to Trent."

The four of them made their way down the mountain. Luckily they didn't have that far to climb down. They then headed around the mountain to where the TARDIS was. When they saw the TARDIS a surprise was waiting for them.

"Sovaz." Vomere said.

Sovaz turned to them. "There you are, Vomere. I was wondering about you. When you didn't come back I thought two things. One was the humans somehow killed you. I didn't think that was likely so I knew the second had to be true. You betrayed me."

"I didn't betray you. I was never on your side."

"It doesn't matter. You all are going to die." Sovaz took out a knife.

"Hey now, can't we talk this over?" The Doctor asked.

"No. The humans took everything from us."

"We did not." Conner said. "We have been more than happy to share what we have."

"This planet was ours first and we are going to reclaim it. Get them." Sovaz said to the other Tuells.

"Is this what you all want?" Vomere asked. "The humans have never harmed us. They want the same thing we do. They just want to live in peace."

"Sovaz said the humans would destroy us if we didn't destroy them first." A Tuell said.

"Why do you believe him? If we continue trying to kill them then I assure you they will fight back. There will be casualties on both sides. Can't we just stop this before anyone else dies?"

"Don't listen to him." Sovaz said. "The humans will kill us. It's just a matter of time."

"We have been here for decades." Conner said. "Not once have we tried to take your species out."

"He's got a point." Another Tuell said. "Maybe we should stop this."

"If you don't have the guts to do what needs to be done then I will." Sovaz turned to Kyleigh. Everything happened in slow motion. Sovaz threw the knife. Kyleigh's eyes widened as the knife came towards her. Conner pushed Kyleigh out of the way; the knife piercing his stomach.

"Conner."

Vomere ran at Sovaz, punching him in the face. He then looked at the others. "Does anyone still want to stand with Sovaz?"

The others shook their heads.

Kyleigh held Conner as she looked at the knife in his stomach. "Do I take it out? I don't know what to do."

"It's not so-so bad." Conner said.

"I'm going to take the knife out so we can stop the bleeding." The Doctor said. He glanced around. "I just need something to…"

"Oh, we can use my shirt." Kyleigh said.

"You just can't wait to get your shirt off for me, huh?" Conner said.

"I have a shirt underneath."

Kyleigh carefully took her shirt off without moving too much.

"All right, I'm going to remove the knife now." The Doctor said.

Conner nodded.

Conner screamed as the knife was removed. Kyleigh quickly put her shirt on the wound and applied pressure.

"You'll be all right." Kyleigh said.

"Can I tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"Come closer."

Kyleigh did as she was told and leaned in.

What came next Kyleigh was not expecting. Conner pressed his lips to hers. It only lasted a second. "I've been…been wanting to do that for a while. Tell my dad I-I'm sorry."

"You can tell him yourself."

"Don't…don't think I-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Tears formed in Kyleigh's eyes. "You have to take me to see those lights. And I have to show you Earth."

"You'll have to see the lights without me. Wish I could have seen Earth…at least once."

"Stay with me, Conner.

Conner tried to say something, but nothing came out. He then went still.

"Conner? Conner?" Kyleigh glanced at the Doctor. The Doctor checked for a pulse.

Kyleigh didn't have to ask. She could see the solemn look on his face. Kyleigh hugged Conner as tears streamed down her face.

"You promised everything would be all right. You promised."

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there. Everything around her seemed to disappear. The Doctor and Vomere were talking, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She didn't even care. Kyleigh wasn't aware of anything until the Doctor tried to get her up.

Kyleigh was numb and didn't even struggle. When she was standing in the TARDIS she glanced at her hands; they were covered in blood. Her shirt also had some blood on it.

"I need to wash." She said more to herself than to the Doctor.

Kyleigh scrubbed her hands until they were red. She then changed shirts. Before leaving her room she took a deep breath. There were more important things to deal with.

When she walked into the console room she didn't see the Doctor so she made her way out the door. They had made it back to the city. She walked into the building, quickly spotting the Doctor, and made her way over there.

"I gave the flowers to Trent." The Doctor said when Kyleigh walked up to him. "He should have the cure made soon."

"Will it be in time?" Kyleigh asked, looking down at Rose.

"I hope so."

There was silence. Kyleigh hoped that the cure would be made in time. She couldn't lose Rose too.

"You were out of it a bit, but I brought Conner. Trent put him in another room for now."

Kyleigh nodded.

"Vomere took Sovaz to the leaders of the city. They'll decide what to do with him. The other Tuells are done with the virus."

Again Kyleigh nodded. She couldn't think of any of that right now. She just needed her friend.

After a few hours Trent had developed the cure and it was quickly distributed. The Doctor told Kyleigh she should get vaccinated just in case; Kyleigh didn't argue.

Waiting was the worst. How long had it been since Rose was given the cure? She hadn't woken up yet. Kyleigh refused to think of the worst. Rose was a fighter and she had to stay positive that her friend would be all right.

"You two look horrible."

Kyleigh glanced at Rose, a faint smile appeared on her face. "You're the one to talk."

"How you feeling?" The Doctor asked.

"All right."

"That's good."

They stayed another day just to make sure Rose was feeling better. When morning came Rose was all too happy to get out of bed. Kyleigh kept asking if she was all right, which Rose replied she was.

"Thank you for everything." Trent said.

"You're welcome." The Doctor said.

"Sovaz is locked away awaiting trial." Vomere said. "I don't think he will be getting out any time soon."

"That's good. Well, it's time for us to go."

The three of them headed back to the TARDIS.

"Bye, Kyleigh."

Kyleigh turned around to see Zephyr waving at her. She waved back. She then followed the other two. Once she entered the TARDIS she went straight to her room without even glancing at the Doctor and Rose.

It was unfair. Trent had thought Conner was dead, but he was alive. Before they could see each other again Conner was killed. He shouldn't have died. Kyleigh should have moved out of the way. If she had maybe Conner would still be alive.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

Rose walked in. "The Doctor told me what happened. How are you doing?"

Kyleigh shrugged." Ok I guess."

Rose sat on the bed next to Kyleigh. "I know it's hard losing people. I'm here if you ever want to talk."

"Thanks, Rose. Right now I just want to sit."

"All right. I'll sit with you."

And Rose did. The two of them sat in silence. Kyleigh was comforted to know that her friend was there.

* * *

**Guest: As always it is much appreciated for your review. Glad you liked the twist.**

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	23. Chapter 23

Sleep didn't come to Kyleigh that night. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Conner dying in her arms. Rose said she would stay with Kyleigh all night, but Kyleigh told her she didn't have to. It was ok for Rose to go to her own room to get some sleep. Rose was reluctant, but Kyleigh insisted.

After a few hours Kyleigh decided to get something to eat, but when she entered the kitchen nothing sounded good to her. She decided just to get a drink. Once Kyleigh finished her water she went to go join Rose and The Doctor in the console room.

She stopped just before she got there when she heard Rose say, "Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

Kyleigh leaned against the wall. Why was Rose asking the Doctor to go see her dad? What brought that on? Apparently they hadn't discussed this since the Doctor wondered the same thing.

"Where's this come from?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, if you can't do it. If it goes against some laws of time or something, then never mind."

"No, I can do it. I'm just worried about you."

"I wanna see him."

"Your wish is my command."

Kyleigh hadn't realized she was crying until a tear slid down her face. Of course the Doctor would take Rose to see her dad. The Doctor would take Rose anywhere. He never really could say no to her. If Kyleigh had asked to go see her parents she was sure the Doctor would tell her no. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt that Rose would ask for such a thing. She could understand why. Kyleigh would want to go see her parents if given the chance.

Wiping the tears away and taking a deep breath, Kyleigh walked into the console room like she hadn't heard that conversation.

"So where are we headed?" Kyleigh hoped she sounded excited instead of sad.

"The Doctor is taking me to see my dad."

"That's…nice of him."

The Doctor glanced over at her but said nothing.

Soon the TARDIS landed and the Doctor and Rose walked out. Kyleigh stayed behind since it wasn't her dad she was going to see. Rose had said she could come along, but Kyleigh said that she would have the Doctor for support.

Kyleigh sat in the chair as she waited for them to return. She thought back to the day her parents were killed. The car had rolled when they were hit. Her father wasn't moving, but her mother turned to see if she was all right. Her mother spoke to her, told her three words. Then her eyes closed. Kyleigh was crying, screaming for her mum to wake up.

For the second time that day Kyleigh was crying. She heard the TARDIS door open so she quickly wiped the tears from her face, hoping they wouldn't notice she was crying.

"We're trying again." Rose said before Kyleigh could ask anything.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to be there for my dad when he dies. I wasn't…I wasn't fast enough. So, we're trying again."

Kyleigh looked over at the Doctor who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. It was dangerous for another pair of them to be in the same place at once. Kyleigh didn't have to be a genius to figure that out. Also, she had watched a lot of movies dealing with people going back to the past and sometimes things did not end well for them. The Doctor must really care for Rose if he was risking it.

Kyleigh once again stayed in the TARDIS while Rose and the Doctor went out. She shouldn't be feeling angry or jealous, but she couldn't help it. Not only did the Doctor take Rose back to be with her dad so he didn't die alone, he took her twice since the first time she didn't do anything. Thinking about it though, Kyleigh wasn't sure if she would be able to handle seeing her parents again. She knew there was no way she would be able to keep them safe. She would have to say good-bye all over again and she didn't know if she could handle that pain again.

Not wanting to sit around thinking about it, Kyleigh walked out of the TARDIS. She had to find something to get her mind off of this or she would just end up crying again. She had done enough crying for the last day. She stood up and made her way out of the TARDIS. Once she was outside she glanced around. What was there to do here? Choosing a direction, she started walking.

* * *

The Doctor made his way back to the TARDIS. He should have known something like this would happen. Give a human a time machine and they want to change the world for themselves. They don't even think of the consequences.

He took out the TARDIS key as he glanced up at the sky. He then unlocked the door. His eyes widened at what he saw. Or it was more like what he didn't see. The inside of the TARDIS was gone. He stepped inside and felt the walls frantically. Then, panic hit him. Kyleigh was in here. Kyleigh was in here waiting for them and now the inside was gone.

"Oh no, Kyleigh. Kyleigh!" The Doctor knew it was no use. There was no way she could hear him. He had to fix this. He had to not only get his TARDIS back, but he also had to get Kyleigh back.

"What's with all the shouting?"

The Doctor turned around. He smiled when he saw Kyleigh and wrapped her in a hug.

"Um…It's good to see you too." Her eyes then landed on the inside of the TARDIS. "What happened?"

"Something bad. I thought you were still in there."

"No, I stepped out."

"It's a good thing you did. Come on, we have to find Rose."

"What happened?" Kyleigh asked as they started running.

"Rose saved her father from dying."

"And that's bad, yeah?"

"Very bad."

They rounded a corner and saw Rose.

"Rose, get in the church." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh glanced up and saw some sort of alien appear in the sky. "Doctor." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor looked over as did Rose. Rose screamed as she saw the creature coming for her. The Doctor knocked her down out of the way. Kyleigh ran over to them, helping them get to their feet. The three of them then head for the church.

The Doctor tried to get everyone inside, but one man didn't listen. He tried to make a run for it. The reaper came down on him, covering him with its wings. Everyone made it inside and the Doctor closed to doors just before the reaper could get them.

The Doctor glanced out the windows to see the shadows of the reapers. "They can't get in. Old windows and doors. The older something is the stronger it is."

"I'll have to remember that." Kyleigh said.

"Go check the other doors."

Kyleigh nodded as she headed towards the back. How were they going to get out of this one? Kyleigh heard the Doctor raise his voice at Jackie and she couldn't help but smile a little. If Jackie remembered this she will probably slap him again when they get back to their own time.

Once Kyleigh made sure the doors and windows were secured she made her way back to the front of the church and took a seat.

"All the doors secured, then?"

Kyleigh jumped then turned her attention to the Doctor. "Yes."

The Doctor looked at her. "Kyleigh, you all right?"

"Fine…just fine." Kyleigh pushed all her emotions aside. This was no time to be crying. She had to help in any way she could to fix things, to save these people.

"Would you mind watching Rose for me?" Jackie asked the Doctor. "I need to go find that husband of mine."

"All right." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh glanced over. "Jackie willingly let you watch Rose?"

"Strange, isn't it? Now Rose, you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you?"

Kyleigh couldn't help but let out a little laugh. It was then that older Rose walked up to them.

The Doctor glanced at her. "Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change."

Rose reached a hand towards her baby self, but the Doctor grabbed her hand and pushed her back. "No touching the baby. You're both the same person and that's a paradox and we don't want a paradox to happen, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance makes them stronger."

"Can't I do anything right?" Rose asked.

The reapers screeched from outside and both Kyleigh and Rose glanced at the window.

"Since you ask, no. So, don't touch the baby."

"I'm not stupid."

"You could've fooled me."

"All right, children, play nice. Have your spat after we save the world." Kyleigh said.

"Yeah. I'm sorry." The Doctor said. "I wasn't really going to leave you."

"I know." Rose said. "Besides, I don't think Kyleigh would have let you taken off without me."

Kyleigh smirked. "No way. He would have gotten another slap."

"I think I've had enough slaps from you." The Doctor looked at her.

"I only slapped you once."

"And that was one too many."

Kyleigh just shook her head.

"So…do you have a plan?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked at the two of them for a few seconds before saying, "I have no idea. The entire Earth is being sterilized. This, and other places like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while but nothing can stop those creatures. There's nothing I can do."

"Nothing at all?" Kyleigh asked.

"There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this, but they're all gone now. And now, I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realized…"

Rose and the Doctor lock eyes.

"Just tell me you're sorry."

"I am. I'm sorry."

The two of them hugged.

"Aw, so glad you guys made up." Kyleigh said.

"Do you have something hot in your pocket?" Rose asked. Rose took out the TARDIS key out of the Doctor's pocket. She gasped as she dropped it. The three of them looked at the glowing key.

"It's the TARDIS key." The Doctor said as he took off his jacket and used it to pick up the key. "It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS."

"So…does that mean there's a way out of this?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor smiled. "Oh, yes."

Soon, everyone was sitting as the Doctor explained how they were going to get out of this.

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this key to bring it back. Once I've got my ship back I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anyone got a battery?"

Stuart noticed his father's phone on the chair so he grabbed it and showed it to the Doctor. "Is this big enough?"

"Fantastic." He took the phone. "Just need to do a bit of charging up." He then pressed his sonic screwdriver to it. "And then we can bring everyone back."

Kyleigh glanced around the church. The reapers were still trying to get in. She hoped that this plan would work. She didn't want to think about what would happen if it didn't.

Rose went to sit next to her dad while Kyleigh stayed near the front. She was happy for her friend that Rose was able to talk to her dad. Rose's dad had died before Rose got to know him. Kyleigh had at least seven years with her parents…though, if it weren't for the pictures she had she would forget what her parents looked like. Sometimes she found herself forgetting them and she would look at her pictures to remind herself.

The TARDIS was starting to materialize and that gave Kyleigh hope that this actually might work.

"Right, no one touches that key. Anyone touches that key it will be, well, zap. Just leave it and everything will be fine. Stuart, Sarah, you'll get married just like I said." The Doctor grinned at them.

There was nothing to do now but wait. The Doctor and Kyleigh sat with Rose.

"When time gets sorted out…" Rose started.

"Everybody here forgets what happened." The Doctor said. "And don't worry, the thing you changed will stay changed."

Kyleigh stood up without a word and walked to the front of the church; the Doctor watched as she left. She went to one of the back rooms and leaned against the wall. It didn't seem fair. Rose's dad would get to live, but hers would stay dead. Rose could have a relationship with him, but Kyleigh never would. Not with her parents.

She slid down the wall as the tears she had been holding escaped. Why couldn't she have her parents too? She knew she couldn't go back and save them. For one thing, the Doctor would never allow it after what happened today. And another thing, Kyleigh didn't want to mess up the world. The reapers would appear again and she couldn't let that happen.

Kyleigh was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the Doctor yell, "Rose! No!" Kyleigh rushed to the front to see what was going on. She got there just in time to see Pete put baby Rose in older Rose's arms. A reaper appeared in the middle of the church.

"Everyone behind me." The Doctor said. Everyone ran behind him. Kyleigh stood next to him and he glanced over at her. He then turned his attention to the reaper. "I'm the oldest thing in here." The Doctor said as he stepped closer to the reaper.

The reaper went down to him and consumed him.

"Doctor!" Rose said, terrified.

Kyleigh just stared in disbelief. He was gone. The Doctor was gone. The reaper flew around the church then collided with a semi-transparent TARDIS. Both the reaper and the TARDIS disappeared. The key fell to the ground, no longer glowing. Now what were they going to do?

Rose ran and picked up the key. "It's cold. It's my fault. Everything is my fault."

"Rose…" Kyleigh started to say but trailed off. What could she say? Technically, it was Rose's fault, but Kyleigh wasn't about to say that.

The lights in the church dimmed.

"This is the end." One of the people said.

Rose and Kyleigh were silent. Neither knowing what to say, or what to do.

"I'm sorry." Rose said.

"So you've said." Kyleigh said without looking at her friend.

"This time I'm apologizing to you."

Kyleigh looked at her. "Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I didn't think how you would feel about this. I feel like I've caused you pain. You were hurting because of Conner and now you're hurting because I asked to see my dad."

"It's fine." Kyleigh tried to act like it didn't bother her, but Rose saw right through her act.

"Liar. I can tell you're not. I was being selfish."

"I can't really blame you for wanting to see your dad. I'll admit I was hurt, but…I understand."

Silence fell upon them, both lost in their own thoughts. At least Rose had her mum and dad here in their final hours.

"The Doctor really cared about you." Pete said as he walked up to Rose. "He didn't want you to go through it again if there was another way. Now there isn't."

"What's he talking about?" Kyleigh asked.

"The car that should have killed me is here. The Doctor worked it out way back; he tried to protect me."

"But you can't." Rose said, tears filling her eyes.

He looked at Rose. "Who am I, love?"

"My daddy."

At that moment Jackie appeared. She looked between Pete and Rose.

Kyleigh took a step back, suddenly finding the ground more interesting. She let Rose have her moment with her parents. Kyleigh realized what he was doing when she glanced back up and saw Pete hug his wife and daughter. He then grabbed a vase and ran outside.

Kyleigh walked up to Rose, leaning against the doorframe as Rose watched her father run into the street and get hit by a car. Kyleigh turned her head away. She felt guilty afterwards because she felt like she should have held Rose's hand or something.

"Go to him." A familiar voice said.

Kyleigh glanced over and saw the Doctor standing right behind Rose. Rose then rushed to her dying father.

"Good to have you back." Kyleigh said. The pain was evident in her voice even though she tried to sound happy.

Rose stayed with her father in his final moments.

Once the ambulance showed up, the three of them made their way back to the TARDIS.

When they were back inside and the Doctor sent them into the vortex he asked Rose if she was all right.

"I'm…fine. I'm glad I got to be there for him."

He nodded then turned his attention to Kyleigh. "Kyleigh, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were crying in the church."

Rose looked guilty. "Ky, I am so sorry. That must have been…I wasn't thinking how it might affect you."

"You've apologized before. It's fine."

"What happened to your parents?" The Doctor asked.

Kyleigh looked over at him. "They died…in a car crash. It was my mum's birthday and we were headed to her party. Dad and I were singing happy birthday. Another car came out of nowhere and hit us. I blamed myself because I thought that if we weren't singing happy birthday then maybe mum would have seen the car coming. I even said that to her. The last thing my mum said to me was, birthdays are important." Kyleigh realized she was crying and quickly wiped her tears. "Sorry."

Rose gave her friend a hug. "I think we need comfort food."

Kyleigh nodded.

Rose glanced at the Doctor. "We'll be in the kitchen." The two friends then made their way to the kitchen.

The Doctor watched as the two friends left the console room. They had to deal with great losses in their life and here they were, still able to smile and carry on. He admired them for that.

Today had been a very exhausting day. He knew that Kyleigh lived with her aunt and uncle, but he never wondered what happened to her parents. He decided the two of them needed some fun and he knew just where to go.

* * *

**Guest: Yes, it was sad. It was sad to write too.**

**Eagle Hawke: I felt so bad for Kyleigh when I was writing this. I said sorry after I wrote it haha.**


	24. Chapter 24

Kyleigh was feeling much better after eating some comfort food with Rose. They talked about other things to keep their mind off of the people they had lost. After a while they each headed to their own rooms. Rose was going to take a nap while Kyleigh decided to take a shower.

She felt much better once she was done with her shower. Once Kyleigh got dressed and put her hair up she made her way to the console room.

"Why won't you tell me?" Kyleigh heard Rose asked.

"I told you it's a surprise." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh walked into the console room. "What's going on?"

"The Doctor has something planned, but he won't tell me what it is." Rose explained.

"It will ruin the surprise." The Doctor looked at Kyleigh. "You may not want to wear a skirt."

Kyleigh gave him a confused look. "Why can't I wear a skirt?"

"Just trust me. Go put some pants on."

Kyleigh shrugged then went to go change. She supposed travelling with the Doctor it was always a bad idea to wear a skirt since they seemed to be running all the time and it was not easy to run in a skirt.

Once Kyleigh was changed she quickly made her way back to the console room, bouncing with excitement.

"So where are we going?" Kyleigh asked.

"He still won't tell." Rose said.

The Doctor smiled as he landed the TARDIS. "Well then, go and see."

Kyleigh and Rose looked at each other. The two of them smiled as they ran out the doors.

They were in a snow globe. That was Kyleigh's first thought. The floor was light blue and a clear dome around them. Outside the dome was the view of space.

"Wow. This is amazing." Kyleigh said.

"You haven't seen anything yet." The Doctor said as he came to stand next to her and Rose. "This place is very popular for their space bowling."

Kyleigh and Rose looked at him with interest. "Space bowling? How does that work?"

The Doctor smiled. "You'll find out." The Doctor began walking.

Kyleigh turned to Rose with a big grin on her face. "We're going space bowling. No idea what that entails, but it sounds like fun."

Rose laughed. "It does sound fun. Come on." The two of them caught up with the Doctor.

As they walked, Kyleigh saw that this place was indeed popular. Many different species of aliens roamed the place, along with humans. Children chattered with excitement as they looked around, some pulling on their parents' hands.

The three of them walked into another room. The Doctor went over to a machine, explaining it was like an ATM. Once he got some money out using his sonic screwdriver, he walked up to a counter to talk with the woman behind it. Kyleigh glanced at everything around her. She felt a nudge on her shoulder so she turned to look at Rose; Rose pointed up.

Kyleigh looked up and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Outside the dome people were bowling…in space. It seemed just like regular bowling only the people were in space and they were just releasing the ball instead of walking a few steps before throwing the ball.

"How does that work?" Kyleigh asked.

Rose shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"Rose, Kyleigh, come on." The Doctor said. "We are on lane five."

Both girls followed the Doctor with much excitement.

Once they arrived at their lane, Kyleigh looked up. "Do we need any specials shoes or anything? If we go out in space won't we suffocate and die?"

Rose shook her head at her friend.

"Nope. You aren't even really going into space. See that tube right there?" The Doctor pointed. "You step in that, that takes you up there. It's like another room. The walls are clear like down here so you can see outside. The gravity is turned off so it will be like you're in space."

"Cool…wait." Kyleigh looked at the Doctor. "If the gravity is turned off why are the pins staying in one place? And what about the ball?"

"There is a gravity beam above the pins to make them stay. On the ceiling there is a special gravity beam that can detect the ball that helps it roll to the pins. I'll go first so you can see how it's done." The Doctor walked into the tube.

"Did I sense a little cockiness in his voice?" Kyleigh asked.

"I think you did."

Kyleigh and Rose watched as the Doctor appeared in the room above. A few seconds later a ball lowered itself down next to the Doctor. He picked it up, and after a few seconds let it go towards the pins. The ball rolled down the invisible lane, hitting all the pins. The Doctor glanced down at his two companions with a smirk.

"Show off." Rose said.

The Doctor walked back into the tube, and was teleported back down.

"And that's how it's done." He said as he stepped out. "So, who's next?"

"Me!" Kyleigh said. She then looked at Rose. "Unless you want to go next."

Rose laughed. "No, you can go next."

Kyleigh smiled as she made her way into the tube. It was a weird sensation as she was being lifted up. It felt like she was being sucked up into a vacuum.

_Now I know how trash feels. _She thought.

When she arrived at the top she was a little hesitant to step out. She couldn't help the thought that crept into her mind: what if she fell to the ground?

Kyleigh shook her head. The Doctor didn't fall so she would be fine. Kyleigh stepped out, and her first mistake was thinking there was solid ground beneath her feet. When she felt nothing she stumbled as she started to turn sideways. Kyleigh moved her arms and legs about to try and get upright, but all she did was turn upside down.

Below, she saw Rose and the Doctor laughing. Kyleigh stuck her tongue out at them.

"Now I know why it was a bad idea to wear a skirt."

Kyleigh continued to move around, trying to get upright. She felt like she was swimming without water. After a bit she was finally able to get the right way up.

"Name?" A voice said, making Kyleigh jump. She was not expecting that.

"Kyleigh Chase."

"Choose your ball."

A screen appeared in front of her with different colored balls. Below them was listed how many pounds the ball was. Kyleigh wasn't sure what size would be best so she chose a ten-pound ball. The color was a swirl of blue and green, reminding her of Earth.

Once Kyleigh tapped the ball she wanted the screen went away and the ball appeared next to her.

"Cool."

Before she picked up the ball she thought about how to do this. She hadn't been bowling in a very long time and that was hard enough. Now she was bowling with no gravity. This should be interesting.

To Kyleigh's surprise, the ball was light for a ten-pound ball. She held the ball in front of her face, lining it up to where she wanted it to go. Taking a deep breath, Kyleigh threw the ball towards the pins. Releasing the ball also made her do a forward flip. She was able to stop herself before she did another one, though she was backwards.

Kyleigh turned around just in time to see her ball hit one pin. She glanced down with a smile at Rose. Rose gave a her a thumbs up.

"Second roll." The voice said as Kyleigh's ball appeared.

Kyleigh took her ball, lined up where she wanted the ball to go, and released. Kyleigh felt herself fall forward; she put her arms and legs out as if that would help stop her. She only tilted a little forward this time.

The ball knocked down a few more pins. Kyleigh didn't care that she didn't get all of them. She was just happy she knocked some down.

Kyleigh then swam back to the tube and made her way back down.

"That was amazing!" Kyleigh said as she stepped out of the tube. She looked at the Doctor. "How were you able to stay upright?"

"Practice." He said.

"My turn." Rose said as she made her way to the tube.

Kyleigh and the Doctor watched as Rose struggled like Kyleigh did.

Kyleigh laughed. "Now I see why you two were laughing. This is quite entertaining."

Once Rose was upright she chose her ball. As soon as Rose released her ball she did the same thing Kyleigh had done and did a flip. Rose was able to hit a few more pins than Kyleigh. Rose then rolled for her second turn. She knocked down the remaining pins. Rose threw her hands up, which sent her upward and turning on her back. With some maneuvering she was able to make her way back to the tube and down to the others.

Rose walked out of the tube, laughing. "That was fun. Though word of caution: don't try to jump when there is no gravity."

Kyleigh laughed. "Is that what happened?"

The Doctor stepped into the tube for his turn.

"This is just what we needed." Rose said. "Some good fun after…after everything."

Kyleigh nodded. "You know, there are times where I want to go home because I can't handle everything and I'm not brave enough. But then I see things like this and it makes me want to keep on travelling."

"That's not true."

Kyleigh glanced over.

"You're one of the bravest people I know." Rose said.

Kyleigh smiled. "Thanks for saying so."

"I mean it, Ky. You really are brave. You just have to believe in yourself more."

Kyleigh opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the Doctor coming down and out of the tube.

Kyleigh smiled. "My turn again." Then she ran for the tube.

Rose laughed. "I think you go her addicted to this game."

"You think?" The Doctor said.

The two of them glanced up at Kyleigh who already had her ball. She threw it down the lane; Kyleigh flipped forward. She smiled down at Rose and the Doctor, giving them a thumbs up.

"Oh, yeah." Rose laughed.

The three of them continued playing, and with each turn Kyleigh and Rose were getting better. They still couldn't stay in one position like the Doctor, but they didn't flip as much as they were in the beginning. At one point Kyleigh spent about five minutes trying to get upright. Good thing there is no time limit on when you have to be down the tube, Kyleigh thought.

"I thought you were going to be stuck up there forever." Rose said when Kyleigh was finally able to get back down.

"So did I."

The game was coming to an end. Rose and Kyleigh were close with points; Rose was only ahead of Kyleigh by five points. The Doctor, of course, was in first place.

Kyleigh was now on her last turn. She had to make this one count. Kyleigh picked up her ball, lined it up with where she wanted it to go, and then let it fly. She held her breath as the ball rolled through the air, looking like it would hit at least a few pins. She let out an irritating sigh when the ball missed the pins by inches.

"What was that?"

At least she had one more roll. When her ball came back she picked it up with determination. She would hit something this last turn. As Kyleigh threw the ball down the lane she put all of her good thoughts into it. Sure it was probably foolish, but that didn't stop her from thinking it might help.

Kyleigh didn't take her eyes off the ball as it rolled closer to the pins. Finally, the ball made contact with its target, knocking down four pins. Kyleigh smiled as she made her way back to the tube, feeling accomplished.

It was now Rose's turn. As she walked to the tube Kyleigh said, "Remember not to jump if you knock down any pins."

"I only did that once."

"Twice."

"Actually, it was four times." The Doctor said.

Rose turned and stuck her tongue out at them. She then entered the tube.

As Kyleigh watched Rose, she secretly hoped that Rose wouldn't knock down any. Of course, there was still a chance that even if Rose knocked down a few pins Kyleigh could still beat her.

Rose released her ball.

"Looks like it might be a strike." The Doctor said.

"No way."

The ball made contact with the pins, knocking them all down.

"Told you." The Doctor smirked.

"No way. How did that happen?"

"Well, you see, when the ball hits the pins at just the right angle-"

Kyleigh hit the Doctor on the shoulder. "I didn't mean literally."

Rose had another turn since she got a strike on her last one. She grabbed her ball and tried to imagine where she wanted the ball to go.

"She won't get another strike." Kyleigh said. "No way will she get two in a row."

"It's been known to happen."

The ball sailed through the air as Rose released it. This time the ball knocked down six pins.

"Told ya." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor just shook his head.

Rose had one more turn; she took it. The ball connected with one pin, knocking it in to two more pins. Rose looked like she was going to jump but thought better of it. She then made her way back down.

"That was amazing." Rose said as she stepped out of the tube.

"We are so having a rematch one day." Kyleigh said.

The two of them then turned their attention to the screen. The Doctor came in first, followed by Rose, and then Kyleigh.

Kyleigh looked at the other two. "Definitely a rematch."

The three of them began walking as Kyleigh and Rose talked about their game, discussing what their favorite part was. The Doctor smiled as he watched them, happy that he could give them a fun day.

Kyleigh soon stopped, her eyes locked on to something. "Is that what I think it is?"

Rose glanced over to where she was looking. "I think it is."

Kyleigh looked at the Doctor. "Is that for real?"

"Of course it is. Humans make a living here too and bring their own stuff."

"We need some. Can we get some? Please."

The Doctor let out a chuckle. Kyleigh sounded like such a child. "All right."

"Yes!" Kyleigh grabbed Rose's hand as they made their way to the ice cream stand.

Once again the Doctor was shaking his head at Kyleigh as he followed them.

"Ooh, look at all the choices." Kyleigh said when they got to the stand.

"Welcome, little ladies." The man behind the stand said.

Rose noticed a sign the read, _ask me how to get free ice cream. _"How do we get free ice cream?" She asked.

"Oh, that be real simple. All ya got to do is win a little game." The man pointed to another stand next to his. "All ya got to do is win that and free ice cream be yours. 'Course no one has ever won."

"What do we do?" Rose asked.

"Ya just have to throw this here bean bag at those bottles. If ya knock them over, then ya get free ice cream."

Kyleigh glanced at the five rows of three stacked bottles. She had seen this before at carnivals. She knew that the game was most likely rigged, but that wouldn't stop her from playing at least once.

Kyleigh and Rose turned towards the Doctor.

"You know-" The Doctor began, but was cut off by Rose.

"We know. Just once."

The Doctor nodded as he handed over the right amount of money. Both Kyleigh and Rose were given three bean bags.

"Three bean bags, three chances." The man said.

Kyleigh picked up her first bean bag and tossed it into the air as if to test how heavy it was. She then took aim, and threw the bean bag. It hit almost dead center. The bottles wobbled a little, but stayed standing. Rose had also thrown hers; her bottles remained standing as well.

Picking up her second bean bag, Kyleigh thought about how to knock the bottles down. Even if the bottom bottles were filled with sand there should be a way to still knock them down, shouldn't there? Maybe if she hit near the bottom. Kyleigh aimed at the two bottom bottles and threw the bag. The bottles didn't even move.

Rose threw her second bag, hitting the top bottle and knocking it down.

"I knocked one down!"

"Ya got to knock all three of them down for the free ice cream." The man said as he put the bottle back.

Kyleigh picked up her last bean bag. Knowing that there was no way to win this game she tossed it without aiming. It bounced off the bottles without making them budge even a little. As Rose picked up her last bean bag the Doctor discreetly took out his sonic screwdriver. Rose threw the bag, and just as the bag hit the bottles, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver knocking down all three bottles.

Rose smiled. "I did it!"

The man stared in disbelief. "That's…that's…how did you do that?"

Rose shrugged. "Luck?"

The man continued standing there, staring at where the bottles had been.

"I do believe they get free ice cream." The Doctor said.

The man snapped out of his trance. "Oh, yeah. What flavor ya want?" He did not sound happy.

Rose and Kyleigh looked at the choices of flavors. "Which one should we get?" Rose asked.

After a minute of looking they both turned to each other with a smile. "Cookie dough ice cream." They said in unison.

The man grumbled has he scooped the ice cream into a bowl for them.

"Thank you." Kyleigh said as she took it. The three of them then sat at a table.

The two friends wasted no time in digging in to their ice cream.

"This is so delicious." Kyleigh said.

Rose nodded in agreement. After Rose put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth she pointed her spoon at the Doctor. "By the way, your little stunt didn't go unnoticed."

"What stunt?" The Doctor asked innocently.

"Knocking down the bottles with your sonic." Kyleigh said.

"Well, most often those games are rigged. By the way that guy was acting his was. And neither one of you were able to knock them down. I just gave you a little help."

"Thanks for that." Rose said.

Once they were done with their ice cream the three of them headed back to the TARDIS. It had been a fun-filled day and both Kyleigh and Rose were exhausted.

"Thanks for today, Doctor." Rose said.

"Yeah, thanks." Kyleigh said. "It was so much fun. We definitely have to come back. Next time I'm sure I can beat you both."

"You wish."

The Doctor chuckled. "Of course we can come back."

"Yes!"

As Kyleigh lied in bed, she thought about the day. It was fun and got her mind away from the sad thoughts she had been having. They definitely needed more days like this.


	25. Chapter 25

Rose and Kyleigh stood staring at one another; Rose had her arms crossed.

"I can't believe you did that." Rose said.

"Really? You should be used to it by now. This wasn't the first time."

"I know, but I think you will change. You never do."

Kyleigh smiled. "Nope."

"Can you not smile while I'm trying to be cross with you?"

"You aren't really mad."

"Look at my face. Is this the face of someone who isn't really mad?"

"Yep."

Rose opened her mouth to say something, but the Doctor spoke up first. "It was just a cookie."

Rose turned to the Doctor. "But it was the last one."

"I didn't see your name on it." Kyleigh said.

Rose looked back at her friend. "You had three already."

"But they were so good."

"I can't believe you two are arguing over a cookie." The Doctor said.

"A very tasty cookie."

The Doctor just shook his head.

"But-"

Rose was cut off as the TARDIS shook.

"What was that?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor pressed some buttons and then looked at the screen; Kyleigh and Rose moved to also look.

"What is that?" Rose asked as an object came into view.

"It's mauve." The Doctor answered.

"Mauve?" Kyleigh questioned.

"The universally recognized color for danger."

"I thought that was red."

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." He gestured to the object they were following on the monitor. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

"And how safe is it?" Rose asked.

"Totally."

"And why don't I believe that?" Kyleigh said.

The TARDIS shook, making the occupants grab onto the console for support. Part of the console then exploded causing Kyleigh to take a step back. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Kyleigh went to stand up, but the TARDIS gave another violent shake sending her back to the ground.

"Ok, reasonably. I should have said reasonably there. Oh, no, no, no, no. It's jumping time tracks."

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked.

"No idea, but it's dangerous and about thirty seconds from the center of London."

"Don't worry about me." Kyleigh said from the floor. "I'm fine here."

Rose glanced at her friend and held out her hand. Kyleigh accepted and stood up. The TARDIS soon landed and the three of them walked out of the TARDIS.

"Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?" The Doctor said.

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" Rose asked.

"Of all the species in all the universe and it has to come out of a cow."

"I wonder who the first person to milk a cow was." Kyleigh wondered. "I wouldn't have done it."

The Doctor glanced at their surroundings. "It must have come down close by, maybe within a mile. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month? We were right behind it." Rose said.

"It was jumping time tracks. Do you wanna drive?"

"Yes!" Kyleigh practically screamed. The Doctor looked at her. "Sorry, but you asked."

"So, what's the plan? Are you going to scan for alien tech?" Rose asked.

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask." He held up his psychic paper.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids."

"What is that?" Kyleigh asked.

"It's psychic paper. It shows people whatever he wants."

"Awesome. I want psychic paper."

The Doctor gave her a look. "You want everything."

"Not very Spock, is it?" Rose said.

The Doctor walked over to a door where music and people chatting could be heard; he used his sonic screwdriver.

"Are you sure about that T-shirt?" The Doctor glanced at Rose.

Rose glanced down at the shirt she was wearing, Union Jack t-shirt. "Too early to say."

"So, what are we going to do with it once we find this thing?" Kyleigh asked.

"Don't know yet." The Doctor answered.

"Yeah, I suppose we should see what this thing actually is."

"Got it. Come on if you're coming." The Doctor said as he walked through the door.

"Coming, Rose?" Kyleigh turned to her friend only to find that Rose was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging, Kyleigh followed the Doctor. Rose could handle herself.

Kyleigh and the Doctor walked through the back of the building, following the sound of people. It really wasn't that difficult since there was only one hallway. When they walked to the front they saw an audience sitting at tables as woman was singing on stage.

"Are you going to interrupt her?" Kyleigh asked.

"Nah. This can wait a moment. Where did Rose go?" The Doctor asked, only now noticing Rose hadn't followed them.

Kyleigh shrugged. "She was gone when I turned around."

The Doctor shrugged as well. They would meet up eventually.

Once the woman was done singing, everyone clapped. The Doctor took this time to walk up on stage. As he was asking if anyone had seen something fall from the sky a poster on the wall caught Kyleigh's attention. Kyleigh walked over to the stage.

"Doctor."

The Doctor ignored her as he glanced at the audience with confusion; they were laughing. "Have I said something funny?"

"Doctor." Kyleigh said again with more urgency.

"I need to find this thing." The Doctor said, still ignoring Kyleigh. "It would have fallen quite near hear with a very loud…"

Sirens began going off; everyone quickly stood and started making their way out of the building. The Doctor glanced at Kyleigh who pointed to the poster on the wall which had the words, "Hitler will send no warning."

"Bang." The Doctor finished. He looked at Kyleigh.

"I tried to tell you. So, I guess we do this Rose's way."

The Doctor stepped off the stage. "Yeah, we'll do this Rose's way." The two of them then walked back out the way they had come.

When the two of them emerged back in to the alley, Rose was still nowhere to be seen.

"Rose?" Kyleigh hollered.

"You know, one of these days maybe she'll get the whole don't wander off thing."

"Doubt it."

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off as a phone rang. Both Kyleigh and the Doctor turned toward the TARDIS. The ringing phone was coming from there.

"I didn't think that phone worked." Kyleigh said.

"It doesn't" The Doctor said, clearly confused. He walked over to the TARDIS, opened the compartment where the phone was located, and stared at it. "How can you be ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?"

"Most people answer it." Kyleigh said as she walked up to him.

The phone continued to ring so the Doctor went to answer it but a voice stopped him. "Don't answer it. It's not for you."

Both Kyleigh and the Doctor looked over at the girl who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"And how do you know that?" The Doctor asked.

"I just do and I'm tellin' ya don't answer it."

"Well, if you know so much how can it be ringing?" He looked at the phone. "It's not even connected.

"Doctor, she's gone." Kyleigh said.

He looked over where the girl had been. He then looked back at the phone. After a little bit of hesitation, he answered it. "Hello? This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?" His grin fell from his face. "Who is this? How did you ring this? It's not…" He replaced the phone.

"Doctor?"

"A child asking for its mummy." He opened the TARDIS door. "Rose, are you in there?" No answer. The Doctor closed the door.

"How can a child ring the TARDIS phone when it's not even connected?"

"Good question."

A crashing sound interrupted them. The Doctor closed the phone compartment, grabbed Kyleigh's hand and ran to where the crashing sound came from. They ran out of the alleyway and into a street. Hearing voices, they make their way over to a fence and peered over. A woman was ushering a boy into a shelter.

"Come on, get in there." She said. "Arthur, will you hurry up? Didn't you hear the sirens?"

"Middle of dinner, every night." A man, Arthur, said as he came out of the house.

Once the family was inside the shelter, the girl from the alley crept out from behind the shelter and into the backdoor of the house.

"We need to ask her about the phone." The Doctor said.

"How do you know she'll have an answer?"

"From how she was acting she knows what's going on."

Whistling was soon heard.

"What's that?" Kyleigh asked.

"Sounds like a signal."

"Signal for what?

"One way to find out." The Doctor climbed over the fence; Kyleigh followed.

The two of them made their way inside the house. There were children gathered in the dining area. "Oh, that's what the signal was for." Kyleigh said.

The children were too absorbed in the food that lay on the table to notice the duo enter the room and take their seats.

"All right then, one slice each." The girl said. Kyleigh heard one of the children call her Nancy. "And I want everyone chewing properly."

_She sounds like a mother. _Kyleigh thought.

As the plate was being passed around, each kid thanked her. The plate was then passed to the Doctor, but the child who passed it to him was too focused on his food to notice the Doctor wasn't a kid. He then passed it to Kyleigh; she took a slice and passed it on.

"Thanks, miss." Kyleigh and the Doctor said at the same time.

The children gasped as they jumped back when they finally noticed the two of them.

"It's all right, stay where you are." Nancy said. "Back in your seats." The children sat back down.

"Who's got the salt?" The Doctor asked. Kyleigh noticed it was by her so she passed it to him. "Thank you. So, what's your story?"

"What do you mean?" Ernie asked.

"You're homeless, right?"

"Are you two coppers?" Jim asked.

"Of course we're not coppers. What's a copper gonna do to you lot? Arrest you for starving?"

The children laughed and Kyleigh smiled.

"Why are you in London?" Kyleigh asked. "Shouldn't you have been evacuated to the country?"

"Where they send us isn't always such a nice place." Alf said.

"So, that's what you do, Nancy? As soon as the sirens go off you find a big fat family meal, still warm on the table with everyone down in the air raid shelter and, bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London."

"Why did you two follow me?" Nancy asked.

"I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favor."

"Great, thanks. And we need find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving."

The children laughed, though Nancy did not look impressed. Nancy then took the Doctor's plate away.

"What have I done?" The Doctor asked.

"You took two slices."

"She did say take one." Kyleigh said, which earned her a look from the Doctor.

"No blondes, no flags. Anything else before you leave?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah. Something we've been looking for would have fallen from the sky about a month ago, but not a bomb." He took a notebook from his pocket and began to draw. "Not the usual kind anyway. It wouldn't have exploded, would have buried itself in the ground. And it would have looked something like this." He held up his sketch.

Before anyone could say anything about the sketch, another child spoke and it was coming from outside.

"Mummy? Are you in there mummy?"

The Doctor went over to the window and pulled the curtain aside. A child with a gas mask was outside.

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy asked.

"Them." Ernie pointed to the Doctor and Kyleigh.

"They came around back. Who came in the front?"

"Me." Alf said.

"Did you close the door?"

"Mummy? Muuuuuuumy."

Nancy ran to the front door, shut and locked it. She started backing away looking terrified.

"Why did you do that? It's not easy being the only child left out in the cold." The Doctor said.

"It's not exactly a child." Nancy said. She then went to the other children. "Right, everybody out, across the back garden and under the fence."

They all jump out of their seats and ran for the door. Kyleigh stood in the hall as she stared at the front door.

"Please let me in, Mummy." The child said as he stuck his hand through the letter box. Kyleigh noticed a scar on his hand.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked.

Nancy threw something at the door; it smashed and the child withdrew his hand. The Doctor and Kyleigh glanced back at her.

"You mustn't let him touch ya." Nancy said.

"What happens if he touches us?" Kyleigh asked.

"He'll make you like him."

"And what's he like?" The Doctor asked.

"He's empty."

The phone started ringing.

"It's him. He can make phones ring."

The Doctor picked up the phone. Nancy then snatched it from him and slammed it back down.

"Are you my mummy?"

Kyleigh glanced over at the radio. "He can speak through the radio too?"

A toy monkey suddenly came alive. "Mummy. Muuuumy. Muuuuuuummmmmy."

"That is really creepy." Kyleigh said.

The child stuck his hand back through the letter box. "Mummy, please let me in."

The Doctor kneeled in front of the door. "There's no mummies here. None here but us chickens.

"I'm scared."

"Ok, I'm going to open the door." He stood back up.

"Doctor." Kyleigh whispered.

The child withdrew his hand once again. The Doctor then undid the locks and opened the door. Kyleigh held her breath, but released it when the child was nowhere to be seen.

"Come on." The Doctor said as he walked out of the house; Kyleigh followed.

They left the house just in time to see Nancy running down the street. The two of them took off after her. She didn't seem to notice that they were following her. They followed Nancy across some train tracks. She went into a small house and started taking food out of her bag. She hadn't even realized the Doctor and Kyleigh were there until she turned around.

"How did you follow me?" Nancy asked.

"I'm good at following. Got the nose for it." The Doctor answered with a smile.

"People don't usually follow me when I don't want them to."

"My nose has special powers."

"That's why it's uh…"

"What?"

"Nothing?"

Kyleigh was smirking.

The Doctor glanced at her. "What?" He then looked back at Nancy.

"Nothing. Do your ears have special powers too?"

Kyleigh laughed.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Good night, Mister, Miss." Nancy turned away.

"Nancy, there's something chasing you and the other kids. Looks like a boy but isn't a boy and it started a month ago, right?" Nancy looked at him. "The thing we're looking for, that's when it landed. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

"There was a bomb that wasn't a bomb."

"Take us there."

"There's soldiers guarding it, barbed wire. You'll never get through."

"We have our ways." Kyleigh said.

"If you really want to know there's someone you have to talk to first."

"Who's that?" The Doctor asked.

"The Doctor."

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows as Kyleigh looked at him.

"Is there more than one of you running around?" Kyleigh whispered.

The Doctor let out a little laugh. "Time travel is weird like that."

Kyleigh and the Doctor then followed Nancy as she led the way to where the bomb had landed.


	26. Chapter 26

As Kyleigh followed Nancy, she kept glancing around for any sign of Rose. Hopefully Rose wasn't in too much trouble. Kyleigh had voiced her concern about Rose, but the Doctor assured her Rose would be all right and they would meet up eventually.

They soon arrived at the crash site. Nancy pointed out where the bomb had landed. She then pointed to a hospital.

"That's where the Doctor is." Nancy said. "You should talk to him." Nancy then turned to leave.

"Who did you lose?" The Doctor asked.

Nancy stopped and turned back to him. "What?"

The Doctor turned to face her. "The way you look at all those kids. It's because you lost someone, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it."

"My little brother Jamie. One night, I went out looking for food. Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, but he just…he just didn't like being on his own." With that, Nancy turned and left them.

"What happened to him?" Kyleigh asked, though she was sure of the answer.

"In the middle of an air raid? What do you think happened?" With that, Nancy turned and left.

"All right, let's go." The Doctor said.

They made their way to the gate of the hospital. The gate was locked so the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and unlocked it. He undid the chain and entered the hospital with Kyleigh right behind him.

They entered a dark ward where there were rows of people lying on beds wearing gas masks. They continued on to another corridor and into another ward which had lights on. There were more people lying in beds with gas masks on their faces. Footsteps were soon heard and Kyleigh and the Doctor turned around to see an older man walking into the room

"You'll find them everywhere. Hundreds of them." He said.

"Yeah, we saw. Why are they all wearing gas masks?" The Doctor asked.

"They're not. Who are you?"

"I'm, uh…are you the Doctor?"

"Doctor Constantine. And you are?"

"Nancy sent us."

"You two must have been asking about the bomb."

"Yes. What do you know about it?"

"Only what it's done.

"Were all these people caught in the blast?" Kyleigh asked as she went closer to one.

"None of them were. Have you examined any of them?"

"No." The Doctor said.

"Don't touch the flesh."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and approached the nearest bed. He ran his screwdriver over the mask covered face and body.

"Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side. Partial collapse of the chest cavity mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns."

"Examine another one."

The Doctor went over to another body and did the scan again. "This isn't possible." He turned to Constantine. "They've all got the same injuries."

Kyleigh went over to another person and examined her. She took a closer look at the neck to see the gas mask.

"How did this happen?" She asked as she looked over at Constantine.

"When the bomb dropped there was only one victim." Constantine said. "His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, touched him, had those exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Can you explain that? What would you say was the cause of death?"

The Doctor started listing off different injuries that he had found – head trauma, asphyxiation, collapse of the chest cavity – each one Doctor Constantine said no. The Doctor had finally asked what the cause of death was, but Constantine said there wasn't one. Both Kyleigh and the Doctor looked at him with confusion.

"They're not dead."

Constantine hit his stick on a tin bin. All the patients suddenly sat up. The Doctor looked alarmed while Kyleigh jumped back from the bed she was near.

"It's all right, they're harmless. They just sort of sit there. They just don't die. I try to make them as comfortable as I can."

"Just you?" Kyleigh asked.

"Before the war, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither, but I'm still a doctor."

"I know the feeling." The Doctor said.

Kyleigh glanced at him.

"I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb." Constantine said. He then began coughing. The Doctor moved closer to him. "Stay back. Listen to me…top floor. Room 802, that's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again. It was her brother. She knows more than she's saying, but she won't tell me…" He gagged and clutched his neck. "M…mu…mee…"

Kyleigh went to move closer, but the Doctor grabbed her arm.

"Are…you…my…mummy?"

The Doctor and Kyleigh watched as a gas mask protruded from the mouth of Constantine and it fused to his face. He then went limp.

"Oh, my God." Kyleigh said, trying to process what she just saw.

"Hello?" A male voice called.

"Hello?" Rose called.

Kyleigh glanced up at the Doctor. "That's Rose."

"I told you she would be all right."

The Doctor and Kyleigh emerge in the corridor and saw Rose with another man.

"Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting. Jack Harkness." He said as he shook the Doctor's hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over." His eyes then landed on Kyleigh. "You must be Kyleigh. Hi." He flashed her a smile as he shook her hand.

"Uh…yeah." It came out more of a squeak so Kyleigh cleared her throat. "Yes, that's me. I'm Kyleigh."

"He knows." Rose said. "I had to tell him about us being Time Agents."

Kyleigh glanced at her friend.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spock." Jack said.

Kyleigh had to stifle a laugh. Jack then walked by them and into the room Kyleigh and the Doctor had just come from. Kyleigh followed him.

"So, how did you and Rose meet?" Kyleigh asked.

"I saved her from falling to her death."

"Thanks for that."

Rose and the Doctor then came in.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked.

"He said it was a warship. He stole it, parked it somewhere, somewhere a bombs gonna fall on it unless we make him an offer." Rose said

"What kind of warship?"

"Does it matter?" Jack asked. "It's got nothing to do with this."

"This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance. Look." He turned on the device that was on his wrist. A hologram of a warship appeared above the device. "That's what you chased through the time vortex. Its space junk. It's empty, I made sure of it. I saw your time travel machine, love the retro look by the way, threw you the bait…"

"You said it was a warship." Rose said.

"They have ambulances in war. It was a con. That's what I am, a con man. I thought you were time agents, but you're not, are you?"

"Just some more free-lancers."

"Whatever is happening here has got nothing to do with the ship."

"What is happening here?"

"I dunno, some kind of virus." The Doctor said. "It's converting human beings into these things. But why?"

Rose bent down to examine one of the bodies. It suddenly sat up, making Rose jump away. The other bodies also sat up.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"I don't know."

All the bodies started chanting mummy as they got out of bed and begun to enclose on the Doctor, Rose, Kyleigh, and Jack.

"Don't let them touch you." The Doctor said.

"What happens if they touch you?" Rose asked.

"You're looking at it." Kyleigh answered.

The people continued backing the four of them into a corner. One almost touched Kyleigh but she moved out of the way.

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked.

There was a moment when no one said anything. The Doctor finally said, "Go to your room!"

Kyleigh looked at him wondering if he was serious. Rose and Jack exchanged looks.

"I mean it. I am very cross with you. Go. To. Your. Room." He pointed in no particular direction.

Kyleigh held her breath as she was pushed closer to the wall. Finally, all the gas mask people started their way back to their beds.

Kyleigh let out the breath she was holding. "So glad that worked."

"Me too. Those would have been terrible last words." He turned to Jack. "How was your con supposed to work?"

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk; let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable and name a price. When he puts up 50% oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. I buy him a drink with his own money and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

"Yeah, perfect."

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners. Pompeii's nice, but you have to set your alarm for volcano day." Jack laughed, but when the Doctor gave him a look his laugh died down. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space junk did."

"It was empty."

"Rose, Kyleigh, we're going up stairs." The Doctor left the room. Rose, Kyleigh, and Jack followed him.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no one."

"I don't know if this thing is or isn't the cause of what's happening, but I'm sure Jack didn't do anything on purpose." Kyleigh said.

"Thank you."

"Don't start taking his side." The Doctor said.

"I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying maybe it wasn't as harmless as Jack thought."

A siren went off in the distance.

"That's the all clear." Jack said.

"I wish." The Doctor said. He then left the ward.

The other three followed him, but soon lost sight of the Doctor.

"Mr. Spock?" Jack called.

They ran passed a flight of stairs.

"Have you got a blaster?" The Doctor asked.

The trio skidded to a halt, and then turned back around to the stairs where the Doctor was waiting at the top.

"Sure." Jack said as the three of them ran up the stairs. They found the Doctor standing by a door.

"The night your space junk landed someone was hurt. This is where they were taken." He turned to Jack. "Get it open."

"What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Kyleigh asked quietly.

"Nothing."

Jack took out his blaster and blasted the door, cutting a perfectly square hole around the lock of the door.

Kyleigh opened her mouth to say something, but the Doctor spoke before she could. "I know, you want one."

"You know me so well." Kyleigh smiled.

"Sonic blaster, 51st century. Weapon factories of Villengard?" The Doctor asked as he took the blaster from Jack to look at it.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked.

"Once."

"They're gone now. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot."

"Like I said, once." He gave the blaster back to Jack. "There's a banana grove there now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

"I second that." Kyleigh said.

The four of them then entered the room; the Doctor switched on the light. The room appeared to have been vandalized. The window was broken and there were things all over the floor.

Kyleigh walked around the room. The floors and walls were covered in a child's drawings and there were a few toys on the floor.

"A child? I suppose that explains mummy." Jack said.

"How could a child do this?" Rose asked.

The Doctor hit play on a tape recorder and Doctor Constantine came up talking to a child.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Are you my mummy?"

"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?"

"Are you my mummy? I want my mummy."

"Doctor, I've heard that voice before." Rose said. "Always, 'are you my mummy.' Like he doesn't know."

"Why doesn't he know?" Kyleigh asked.

The Doctor began pacing around the room. "There are children living rough around the bomb site. They come out during the air raids looking for food."

"Mummy."

"Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed."

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless." Jack said.

"Suppose one of them was affected, altered."

"Altered how?" Kyleigh asked.

"I'm here."

"It's afraid. Afraid and powerful. It's got the power of a god and I just sent it to its room." The Doctor said.

"We're in its room." Kyleigh said.

"The tape ran out 30 seconds ago."

"I'm here. Can't you see me?"

The four of them turned around and saw the child standing near the tape recorder.

"Are you my mummy?"

"Ok, on my signal make for the door. Now!" Jack said. He took out a banana and aimed it threateningly at the child. The Doctor grinned as he took out Jack's blaster, blasting a square hole in the wall.

"Go, now! Don't drop the banana." The Doctor said.

"Why not?" Jack asked as he and the others made their way out of the hole.

"Good source of potassium."

Once they were in the hallway, Jack grabbed his blaster back, aimed it at the hole in the wall, and the wall rebuilt itself.

"Nice switch." He told the Doctor.

The child pounded on the wall.

"Come on." The Doctor said. The four of them took off running.

The four of them rushed down a short flight of stairs and down another corridor before they encountered all the patients bursting out of the ward, all calling for mummy. They hastily backtrack, but found the gas mask people coming from that direction as well. The child then broke the wall.

"This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what do you have?"

"I have no idea what the last one is, but I want one." Kyleigh said. Jack smiled at her.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. "A sonic, er…never mind."

"What?"

"It's sonic ok? Let's leave it at that."

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"Screwdriver!"

Jack turned to look at him. At that moment, the child finally broke the wall and began to climb through. Rose grabbed onto Jack's wrist and made him point the sonic blaster at the floor.

"Going down." Rose said.

She blasted a hole in the floor and the four of them fell in a heap on the floor of the ward below them. Jack quickly hit the digital rewind on his blaster.

"Could've given a warning." The Doctor said.

"I said going down."

"A little more warning then that, thank you."

The all stood up as they brushed themselves off.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked.

"I do."

"Those two are getting along well." Kyleigh said as she and Rose searched for a light. "He's cute though. I call dibs."

"What do you mean you call dibs?" Rose asked.

"You're right, I shouldn't have to. You have the Doctor."

At that, Rose tripped over something. Kyleigh let out a laugh. She then continued looking for a light switch and soon found it. The lights came on and they were greeted by the gas mask people sitting up in bed, calling for their mummy.

They all rushed to the door. Jack tried using his blaster, but it did nothing. "Damn it. It's the special features. It really drains the battery."

"Well, that's a bummer." Kyleigh said.

The Doctor pushed the door open and everyone ran out the door. The Doctor closed it and locked it with his sonic screwdriver. "Ok, the door should hold for a bit."

"The door? The wall didn't stop it." Jack said.

"Well, what have we got?"

"I've got a banana and in pinch you could put up some shelves."

"Window." The Doctor went over to the window.

"Barred, seven stories."

"And no other exits." Rose said.

"So, where did you pick up this one?" The Doctor turned to Rose.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship."

"Ok, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah…Jack disappeared." Rose said.

Kyleigh and the Doctor turned to where Jack was sitting and saw that he was indeed gone.

"How did he do that?" Kyleigh asked.

"Why is it the good looking ones always seem to vanish?" Rose asked.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted." The Doctor said.

"I meant men."

"Thanks, that really helped."

Before anything else was said, a radio turned on. "Rose? Kyleigh? Doctor? Can you hear me? I'm back on my ship. I used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you."

The Doctor walked over to the radio, picked it up and saw the wires had been ripped out of the radio.

"I'm working on getting you three out."

"How are you speaking to us?" The Doctor asked.

"Om-com. I can call anything with a speaker grille."

"That's what the child can do too." Kyleigh said.

"It can?" Rose asked.

"It phoned the TARDIS and used the radio in a house we were in.

"I can hear you." The child said through the radio. "I'm coming to fiiiiiind you."

"I'll try to block out the signal." Jack said. "Rose, remember this one?"

Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade started to play through the radio. Kyleigh glanced at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Our song." Rose said.

The Doctor just nodded. He then turned his attention to the window with his sonic screwdriver. Rose sat in a wheelchair while Kyleigh sat on the ground. How long would they be stuck in here, Kyleigh wondered? Would Jack even be able to get them out of here? Or would they be doomed becoming gas mask people?

Kyleigh shook her head. She really should stop thinking the worse of things.

The music got a bit louder. Looking up, Kyleigh saw Rose trying to get the Doctor to dance. It was an interesting sight.

Kyleigh stood up as she felt a sensation. She wasn't sure what it was. One minute she was standing in the room, the next thing she knew she was on what looked like to be the inside of a ship. She lost her balance, but before she fell a pair of hands steadied her.

"You all right?" Jack asked.

Kyleigh just nodded.

The two of them looked over at the Doctor and Rose who had no idea they had moved. "Why haven't they noticed?" Kyleigh asked.

"Too wrapped up in each other I guess."

"If he was ever a captain he's been defrocked." The Doctor said.

"Yeah? Shame I missed that?"

"Actually, I quit." Jack said, finally speaking up. "Nobody takes my frock."

The Doctor and Rose glanced around with confusion.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security." Jack then ducked under the console.

"This is a Chula ship." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, just like the medical transporter. Only, this one is dangerous."

The Doctor snapped his fingers and his hand was instantly surrounded by things that reminded Kyleigh of fireflies.

"They're what fixed my hands." Rose said.

"Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here. Burned my hand on the console when we landed, all better now. They activate when the bulkhead's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." The Doctor banished the nanogenes with a wave of his hand. "Take us to the crash site." The Doctor said to Jack.

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online. Carry on with whatever you two were doing."

"We were talking about dancing." The Doctor said innocently.

"It didn't look like talking."

"Didn't feel like dancing." Rose said.

"So, you were a time agent? How did you become a con man?" Kyleigh asked.

Jack crawled out from under the console and sat in his captain's chair. "I woke up one day when I was working for them and found out they stole two years of my life. I'd like them back."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah. Two years of my life and I have no idea what I did. Your friend doesn't trust me and for all I know he's right not to." The computer bleeped. "All right, we're good to go."


	27. Chapter 27

They soon arrived near the crash site.

"There it is." Jack said. "They've got Algy on duty. It must be important."

"We've got to get past." The Doctor said.

"The words distract the guard head in my general direction?" Rose asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I've gotten to know Algy pretty well since I've been here. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him." He then started walking towards the man.

"This Jack fellow has many talents." Kyleigh said.

"Oh, don't tell me you're falling for him." The Doctor said.

"I'm not falling for him. I don't even know him. I'm just saying he has many talents."

They watched as Jack tried to talk to Algy. Algy turned to face Jack and started coughing, falling to his knees. Then, his face transformed into the gas mask. Other soldiers started to hurry over.

"Stay back." The Doctor said to them as he, Rose, and Kyleigh ran over to Jack. "The effect's become air-borne."

"What's keeping us safe?" Rose asked.

"Nothing."

The air-raid siren blared.

"Ah, here they come again." Jack said as he looked up.

"Didn't you say the bomb was going to land here?" Rose said.

Jack nodded.

"Never mind about that. If the contaminants are air-borne now, then there's hours left." The Doctor said.

"For what?" Jack asked.

"Until nothing. Until forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?"

Kyleigh listened. "Yeah, I do."

They followed the singing to a shed. Kyleigh was close behind, but she had to stop as a coughing fit came on. Panic filled her as she thought about doctor Constantine. He had coughed a lot before he had turned. Jack saw that she had stopped and went back to her.

"Are you all right?"

Kyleigh looked up at him. "I…I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Kyleigh was silent, fear setting in. "I started coughing and…and one of the people…he was coughing before he turned."

"Hey, don't worry. We'll fix this."

The Doctor came over along with Rose and Nancy. "What's going on?" The Doctor asked.

"Kyleigh might be infected." Jack said.

The Doctor looked at her. "I will fix this." The Doctor then walked over to the bomb site; the others followed.

Jack uncovered the ship. "You see? It's just an ambulance."

Kyleigh wasn't paying much to what was being said. Her heart was pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears. She wasn't sure if that was happening because she was infected, or if it was happening because she was scared. Another coughing fit came as she kneeled on the ground. She quickly felt her face and was relieved when there was no sign of a gas mask…yet.

Kyleigh glanced up when she heard Rose call for the Doctor. She looked over to where Rose was looking and saw the gates shaking.

"Captain, secure those gates." The Doctor said. Jack did as he was told. The Doctor then looked at Nancy. "Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire."

"Show Rose." He tossed his sonic screwdriver to Rose. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D."

"What?" Rose was confused.

"It reattaches barbed wire."

Rose nodded as she took off with Nancy.

The Doctor looked over at Kyleigh. "Kyleigh, how you holding up?"

She gave him a thumbs up, though it wasn't long before she started coughing again.

"Doctor…"

"Don't you worry, Kyleigh, I'm going to make things all better."

"I'm going…to move away." Kyleigh said as she stood up.

"Why?"

"So when I turn I won't be right here next to you guys. I don't want to hurt any of you."

"Kyleigh-"

"What can they do to me? I'm already infected." Without waiting for the Doctor to say anything else, Kyleigh started walking away. She turned around and saw she was a good distance away so she stopped and sat on the ground. Jack, Rose, and Nancy had rejoined the Doctor. One of them must have asked where Kyleigh was because the Doctor pointed in her direction. Rose began running towards her, but she stopped. Kyleigh assumed the Doctor told her not go get close.

Kyleigh wanted to be close to her friends, to hear what they were saying, but she knew it was dangerous. If she completely turned she would be close enough to hurt them so she just stayed where she was, watching them. She saw Jack look at Rose. He then glanced over at Kyleigh, and he was gone. Against her better judgment, Kyleigh stood and ran over to Rose and the Doctor.

She came close enough to hear the conversation between the Doctor and Nancy. The child, it turned out, was Nancy's son not her brother. The Doctor convinced her to tell Jamie the truth.

Nancy made her way to Jamie, telling him that she was his mother. She kneeled next to him, embracing him in a hug. Kyleigh watched as the nanogenes surrounded them. Soon, the nanogenes disappeared. The Doctor walked up to the boy, picked him up, and took off his gas mask.

Kyleigh smiled. It worked. The nanogenes had fixed him.

The smile faded as Kyleigh saw the bomb coming down right on top of them; it never reached its target, the bomb was caught in midair by a blue force field. Jack then appeared, sitting on the bomb.

"Doctor, the bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis, but it won't last for long."

"Change of plan, don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it? Safe as you can."

"Rose, good-bye." Jack then disappeared. His ship took off with the bomb.

Kyleigh was overtaken with a coughing fit. She was sure this was the time that she was going to sprout a gas mask. Everything around her seemed to vanish as the thought of a gas mask coming out of her mouth terrified her. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to come right out of her chest.

Just when Kyleigh thought she was going to turn, she stopped coughing. She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes, but when she opened them she saw the nanogenes surrounding her.

"Everybody lives. Just this once, everybody lives." The Doctor said.

Rose walked up to Kyleigh. "How you feeling?"

"Better." Kyleigh smiled.

The Doctor went to the Chula ship. "I'm setting this to self-destruct as soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here, who am I to argue with history."

"Usually the first in line." Rose said.

After that was taken care of, the three of them headed back to the TARDIS while Rose filled in Kyleigh with what she had missed.

"The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off because I just told them to." The Doctor said once they were in the TARDIS. "Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!"

Rose smiled. "Look at you beaming away like you're Father Christmas."

"Who says I'm not, red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve."

"What?"

"And everybody lives, Rose. I need more days like this."

"Doctor, what about Jack?"

The Doctor's smile faded.

"Why did he say good-bye?"

"He's going to die, isn't he?" Kyleigh asked. "We can't let that happen."

The Doctor glanced at her then at Rose.

The Doctor sighed. "The things I do for you people."

He piloted the TARDIS to Jack's ship. He then put on some music while he tried to dance with Rose. Kyleigh opened the TARDIS doors and looked out. Jack had heard the music and looked back at her.

"Hurry up." She called to him.

Jack leapt to his feet and rushed into the TARDIS. Jack looked around at everything before him.

"Right, and turn…" Rose said. The Doctor spun her around, getting her arm all twisted. "Ok, try to spin me again but this time don't get my arm up my back."

"Close the door, will you? Your ship is about to blow up, there's gonna be a draft." The Doctor said. "Welcome aboard the TARDIS."

Jack shut the door. "Much bigger on the inside."

"You better be."

"I think what the Doctor is trying to say is you may cut in." Rose said.

"Rose, I just remembered. I can dance." The music changed and the Doctor moved in time to the music as he clicked his fingers.

"Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance."

"I'm sure he would, but who with?"

Rose took the Doctor's hands and they began to dance, with the Doctor spinning her perfectly.

Jack walked over to Kyleigh and held out his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

Kyleigh smiled. "You may."

The four of them continued dancing and having a good time. None of them knew how long they stayed dancing. They weren't paying attention to the time. They definitely needed more says like this one, Kyleigh thought.


End file.
